Newsletter Term 3, Week 6 2020

Dear SJC Families and Friends

Firstly, I would like to say that I hope you are all OK during this time of further uncertainty. The last two weeks have seen further border confusion and innuendo followed by the new restrictions placed on NSW schools that have impacted greatly a number of processes and practices at the College. I continue to pray for all members of our community, particularly our parents and carers, that they remain strong for their children during these times. If your household is struggling and you think there is any way the College may be able to help, please get in contact with us. 

Please Keep in Your Prayers the Fritsch Family

Last Thursday, we heard that tragic news that Lili Fritsch's (Year 12) father Daniel passed away in a boating accident. I ask that you please keep Lili, her brother Jarrah (Year 12 2018), mum Mia and the whole extended family in your prayers as they come to terms with the sudden passing of someone so close. 

Meeting with the Education Minister

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On Wednesday last week, I was honoured to be invited to a meeting with the local Tweed school principals and Education Minister, The Hon. Sarah Mitchell. The meeting was hosted by our local member, The Hon. Geoff Provest at his office. Ms Mitchell and Mr Provest can be seen the above photo on the far left and right respectively. I managed to muscle my way to the front!! You will observe some great physical distancing on display.

Ms Mitchell was in the region to announce a number of new building initiatives in the local public schools but having heard first-hand the issues pertaining to border community schools, she organised an impromptu meeting for all principals. It was a good opportunity to advocate for the students, staff and families of our area and convey the struggles we are facing. The Minister was very receptive and assured the group that the concerns raised would be heard in Sydney and across the border.

Term 3 Student Expectations

The majority of SJC students will always do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason. For the majority of our students, coming to school involves being challenged and overcoming these learning challenges, forming solid and fulfilling relationships with students and staff, and generally making others feel blessed for having encountered them each day. These qualities, habits and attributes are what make this school great. However, for a small number of students, the habits listed above are sadly not a high priority. 

For the remainder of Term 3, there will be a focus on three areas within the College that I believe will yield even better relationships and learning outcomes in classes throughout the school. The areas of focus are not new, they are not being introduced, but are simply part of our clearly articulated Core Responsibilities at SJC. From next Monday, there will staff will be expecting students to be punctual to lessons, be organised for each lesson and act in a respectful and cooperative manner.

Steps will be taken to ensure that students fulfil these expectations and I wish to make it clear with families and students what will occur should a student fail to comply. These are very basic requirements and I am confident can be adhered to by all students. An easy to understand graphic will be shared this week. 

COVID-19 Requirements

A raft of documentation was shared with schools last week relating to some new requirements. Of greatest impact is that no parents or visitors (who are not performing essential services in the College) are to come onto school grounds. The only exception is for parents who must attend to uniform requirements at the Uniform Shop (parents are encouraged to ring the shop and organise payment over the phone and have your child collect any purchases). Please refer to the app alert from last week to ensure you are across the new requirements. 

2021 Student Representative Council Appointments 

This week sees the culmination and announcement of students who will form the 2021 SRC. Like most other events, the instalment of these students will look very different this year. An announcement will be made later this week with a letter of congratulations being sent to all families of our successful appointments soon.

As I have said to all students involved, I would like to thank the courageous and community-minded young people who felt obligated to nominate and speak in front of their peers during this process. It is not an easy task and leading in any organisation takes courage so to all of our nominees, I thank you all. 

Kind regards

Mr Scott Thomson
Principal 

Student Engagement and Application Report (SEAAR)

Congratulations to the following students on their extraordinary achievement in the latest SEAA Report. These students achieved a perfect grade average of 5.0:

Cycle Five (Term 3, Cycle 1):

Year 12 Lillian Burgess
Ashley Burns
Bailey Finn
Emma Hill
Marni Kerr
Gabrielle Knox
Amy Mazzarella
Holly McGuinness
Tanesha Smith
Emily Williams
Jacob Wilson
Year 11 Irene Antu
Isabel Selby
Year 10 Shae Hart
Charlie Kerr
Minh Nguyen
India Reed
Charlotte Reid
Zac Van Zuylen
Year 9 Christine Brotherton
  Seana Connolly
  Ava Greenslade
  Mitchell McCracken
  Willow Trimboli
  Callum Weaver
  Makenzee Weaver
Year 8 Amelie Diver
  Sarah-Jane Forbes
  Sarah Gabriel
  Sienna Matty
  Saoirse Maxwell
  Sean Scott
  Tyson Smith
  Daniel Van Zuylen
Year 7 Lily Blundell
  Lois Diver
  Mia Holt
  Ayla Jordan
  Jessica Kearney
  Charlize Merrin
  Caiden Miller
  Nataya Monahan
  Abbey Olsen
  James Petherbridge
  Cody Scott
  Eloise Smith
  Ebba Suess
  Sebastian Thomson
  Savannah Walton

Mr Peter Lyon
Assistant Principal

In response to a call from St Joseph's Parish, students gave up their lunch time during Week 5 to make face masks out of socks. The students who were involved and willingly gave up their time for this social justice effort were Makayla Floyd, Bronte Vandermaat, Chantelle Alexander, Jayla Covell and Ollie Wilcox. Thanks for your efforts.

Miss Helen Gooley
Leader of Catechesis

The term continues to move through at a rapid rate. We hope that your family is well as we continue to cope with the significantly different way we live due to COVID. I have been in awe of our Year 12 students’ resilience throughout this year, but even more so this week as they began their HSC Trials. This is usually a stressful time for students in what we would consider a ‘normal’ year, however, this year has certainly seen the students deal with a number of challenges and disappointments. I have been extremely proud of how the students have taken on the challenge of the trials. Thank you to each family for their support and patience with Year 12 students during this time. We continue to pray for their success as they move towards the end of their journey at SJC. 

The Parent Assembly is hosting two webinars in upcoming weeks that aim to support parents with the development of their child/dren. The focus of the first webinar is on motivating teenagers. We know that understanding how to effectively motivate our teenage children is an important contributing factor to their success in life and is a topic of particular interest to our parent community. We encourage all our families to register for the Motivating Teens webinar. Please see the flyer in this newsletter for further information.

Once again, thank you for your ongoing support of our College and we look forward to a time in the near future where we can come together.

Mr Ryan Campbell
Assistant Principal – Mission

Webinar Opportunities for Parents and Carers

As our families would be aware, the Catholic Schools Parent Assembly has arranged for two more webinars - this month and next month - exclusively for parents of Lismore Diocesan Catholic Schools:

  • Tuesday 25 August (tomorrow night), from 7:00-8:15pm is Motivating Teenagers with Chris Hudson. Chris Hudson is the person behind Understanding Teenagers, a website dedicated to 'Helping Adults Build Better Relationships With Teenagers', and his webinar provides ideas for our families regarding teenage motivation.

Interested parents and carers are invited to register for this event via the link on the attached flyer.

  • Wednesday 2 September (next week) from 7:00-8:00pm is How to Develop Persistence in your Teen with Linda Stade. Linda Stade is an education writer, speaker, and consultant, and has worked in various teaching and management roles in education for twenty-eight years. Her webinar on developing persistence in teenagers will offer a range of ideas for our families.

Interested parents and carers are invited to register for this event via the link on the attached flyer.

Thank you everyone for your support of our NAIDOC Week celebrations at the College. Please enjoy the following galleries showcasing just a little of diversity we enjoy here at SJC.

Mrs Lexene Busbridge
Indigenous Education Worker

Whole school NAIDOC Assembly

Annual Indigenous Allstars Vs Non Indigenous Allstars Touch footy match

Learn to play Didgeridoo (bidayoomundoo)

Learn to Weave

Bush Tucker

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LIVIN at SJC

Please enjoy the following student report about the rececent Year 11 LIVIN Presentation.

Mr Eamon Brown
Leader of Pastoral Care and Student Welfare

On Tuesday 28 July, the Year 11 cohort was given the opportunity to attend a mental health seminar, presented by Mick from LIVIN. LIVIN is a local organisation that aims to promote awareness and destigmatise mental health. As young adults approaching a notoriously stressful period in our lives, the relevance of mental health is becoming more apparent. Throughout the presentation, we were given the knowledge to identify potential ‘warning signs’ of poor mental health in ourselves, our family members and our peers. Mick emphasised that implementing regular ‘self-care’ practices in our lives, such as exercising, maintaining a healthy diet and journaling, will help us improve our own mental health. LIVIN’s slogan, ‘It ain’t weak to speak’, shows us that although talking about our mental health can often be uncomfortable and avoided by many, there will always be the appropriate support available to work through any tough situation. The presentation showed us that through supporting one another, listening to each other and taking care of ourselves, we can create an environment where good mental health is prioritised. It was a great privilege to have attended the LIVIN presentation and was such a worthwhile experience for us as young adults. 

Sacha Thompson
Year 11 SJC

Artist of the Week

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Artist: Grady Hart

Year 11 Visual Arts student

Title: “Me”

Media: Canvas and Acrylic Paint

My painting is a self-portrait. The different profiles of my face represent different moods that I experience during my day at school. I was inspired by the artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy. I like their abstract painting style and use of colour layers. I am hoping to continue working in this style for my body of work in year 12. 

Science Week 2020 - Deep Blue

The theme of National Science Week 2020 is Deep Blue: innovations for the future of our oceans. The theme embraces the innovative technologies and capabilities needed to achieve sustainability of our oceans.

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During this week some of our junior classes have been involved in learning about the importance of our ocean and its inhabitants.  A number of science classes have participated in an 'Escape Room' exercise in which they learnt about ocean exploration and innovations for the future of our oceans. Each group had to solve challenges drawing on their scientific knowledge from a range of disciplines.

The library has also had a display for Science Week 2020 following the theme of Deep Blue with games and trivia prizes to be won.

Let's us all be reminded about how important our oceans are in terms of their economic, social and environmental sustainability.

https://www.scienceweek.net.au/

Ms Fiona Murray
Assistant Leader of Learning – Science

Year 9 Elective History - Archaeological dig - 20 August 2020

An exciting day was enjoyed by a group of Year 9 budding Archaeologists! The Elective History class undertook an incursion to extend and enhance their knowledge about the field of Archaeology and methodologies used, by becoming Archaeologists themselves for the day!

The students were outside battling the elements (it was a beautiful day). The quickly up-tools and began to prepare the selected site. The morning was spent surveying, drawing and measuring the site. Students pegged out the ‘selection’ creating a grid to overlay their excavation.

Soon excavation began; brushes, and hands were busily, but carefully, uncovering a huge 61 artifacts left behind by unknown civilisations! The artifacts were methodically labelled, recorded, drawn, photographed and plotted on a scaled grid for easy reference. Students then began the arduous task of piecing together the information gained from close inspection and cross-referencing of the artifacts to gain a clearer picture of the inhabitants of the area. Who were they? Still to be decided!

It was fun exploring and finding stuff! - Catherine 

It was not what I expected; easier than I thought, it was really interesting. - Nick

It was a great way of learning outside of the classroom, really experiencing what Archaeologists do. - Willow

The best part of the day was when Willow dug up my foot! - Kenna

Seeing the work of an Archaeologist in action was eye-opening. - Dominic

Griffith University Pathway into Engineering - Aptitude of Engineering Assessment (AEA) exam

Griffith University offers a pathway into Engineering through the Aptitude of Engineering Assessment (AEA) exam. This pathway is open to Year 12 students who may not meet the prerequisites for admission into engineering.

The AEA exam is a two-and-a-half-hour multiple-choice test that assesses a candidate’s aptitude to think scientifically, solve quantitative problems, critically analyse information and display interpersonal understanding. Students who reside in regional areas can take the exam online.

Upon successful completion of the AEA exam, applicants will receive admission into the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at either the Brisbane or Gold Coast campus or the Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Electronic and Computer Engineering at the Nathan Campus.

To find out more information about the AEA test visit: https://www.griffith.edu.au/griffith-sciences/school-engineering-built-environment/learning-teaching/aptitude-for-engineering-assessment

Registrations close Wednesday 16 September 2020. For more information click here.


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Griffith University Virtual Open House 

This year, we're doing Open Day differently. Our Virtual Open House gives you the freedom to explore our degrees, student life, and support services from home, as part of our interactive online event from 14 July to 1 October.

You'll have 24/7 access to dynamic virtual study booths, information and on-demand presentations. Plus, each week, we’ll shine the spotlight on a different study area, with live sessions every Tuesday and Thursday, 4-6 pm. Our GriffithLIVE sessions will feature one-on-one chats with study area experts, live webinars, virtual classes and more.

Register now to receive your exclusive login and start exploring everything Griffith has to offer in our Virtual Open House.

Transport for NSW - Apprentice and Trainee recruitment is now open!

Transport for NSW is excited to announce the recruitment for the 2021 intake of regional Apprentices and Trainees has commenced! If you are interested in joining Transport for NSW through a regional Apprenticeship or Traineeship, please view our brochure which contains detailed information regarding each of their Apprenticeships/Traineeships.

To view all available positions, please visit the www.iworkfornsw.gov.au website. Applications will remain open until midnight Sunday 6th September, so don’t miss out!

If you'd like to see the kind of work we at Transport for NSW do then check out the video below!

If you have any enquiries, contact Transport for NSW at apprenticeandtrainee@transport.nsw.gov.au or for more information visit the website www.transport.nsw.gov.au/apprentice-and-trainee-programs

Ms Frances Stegeman
Leader of Careers and EVET
Leader of Learning - Work Readiness Pathway

Concrete Pour

Tuesday 11 August was a beautiful day that saw the nine students from the Year 12 Construction class lay a concrete walkway at the back of the staffroom.

Under the careful guidance of Mr Jack Hamers and Mr Brad Watson the students prepared, laid and finished the slab, as well as enjoying a sausage sizzle for lunch, and then a debrief/evaluation at the end of the day. All worked well on the day and learned firsthand the pressure of getting it done right under the time limits involved and experiencing the satisfaction of a job well done. Good job team.

Mr Brad Watson
TAS Teacher

Last week our library was privileged to house a wonderful NAIDOC display, gathered and curated by Lexe Busbridge, with the theme of: Always was, always will be. It featured indigenous art and beautifully crafted tools, instruments, carrying vessels, woven baskets and bags, ochre and bushfoods. Some of the Year 11 boys tried some particularly sharp on the tongue bushtucker (although I personally enjoy the taste, it was comical seeing their expressions – an acquired taste?) and fragrant lemon myrtle leaves from the school’s bushtucker garden eventually found their way into our teapot.

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The library is also a treasure house for ways of knowing and a repository for so much human curiosity, passion and wonder, all channelled into the telling of stories, collecting and communicating information, and speculating as to the mysterious possibilities of what it is to be an inhabitant of this incredible planet. This week we bumped in a new display for the 2020 National Science Week with the theme of - Deep Blue: innovation for the future of our oceans. Which brings me to jellyfish – did you know some of jellyfish are immortal? Seriously, technically, scientifically immortal?

Ms Melaina Faranda
Acting Teacher-Librarian

The Lowes On-Campus 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

Should you need to contact their office, the following telephone number is operated by a Lowes staff member only during shop hours: 07 5523 9300

Please be aware that you can also order online using the following link: 

SchoolUniformTradingLogo.pngSchool Uniform Trading is an on-line trading website, established by two parents in the SJC community, where you can ... "sell all your second hand uniforms, textbooks, sporting equipment, musical instruments and much more..."

Not only does it put potential buyers and sellers in contact with each other, it can also help families to save on school uniform costs. Their one stop school shop, also lists every Australian school in a directory to enable parents to target their school community and individual needs.

The website charges a $5 per year membership fee which then allows users to post as many items as they like.

To find out more please visit: www.schooluniformtrading.com.au.
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‘Charlie Boots’ is a website providing online craft workshops and craft kits to children throughout NSW.

A NSW Creative Kids provider, ‘Charlie Boots’ package on-demand video workshops, craft kits, models and paints for NSW school kids to build and learn from in the comfort of home. You can use your $100 Creative Kids Voucher. It's a great opportunity for parents to make the most of their Creative Kids voucher, especially during these trying times. Visit the website for more information www.charlieboots.com.au.