Newsletter Term 1, Week 2 2023

Dear Members of the St Joseph's College Family,

Welcome to the 2023 College year!  I hope that 2023 will be a wonderful year in the St Joseph's College history as it celebrates the 30th anniversary of its opening in 1993.  Special congratulations to Debra Dawson, Fiona Murray and Andrew Chambers who are the three member of staff who have served the College community over all of these thirty years.

In my greeting, I used the word Family.  Our College has the opportunity to embrace that collective noun.  Families are groups of people that, like the family Jesus was born into in Nazareth, have attitudes of family spirit:

love and forgiveness
support and help
forgetfulness of self
openness to others
joy

I have spent a large part (32 years) of my teaching careers (this is my 42nd year) working with and for the Marist Brothers.  The Marists value family spirit as “relational and affective”.  Let’s all work together (staff, students and parents) to achieve a true family spirit at the College.  I believe caring for one another in this way is a true reflection of a Catholic Christian community.  And it’s really important that our students have a true experience of this.

In his book, Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff … And Its All Small Stuff, Richard Carlson Ph.D writes,

It's easy to get lost and overwhelmed in the chaos, responsibilities, and goals of life.  Once overwhelmed, it's tempting to forget about and postpone that which is most near and dear to your heart.  I've found that it's helpful to keep asking myself, "What's really important?"

As part of my early morning routine, I take a few seconds to ask myself this question.  Reminding myself of what's really important helps me keep my priorities straight.  It reminds me that, despite my multitude of responsibilities, I have a choice of what is most important in my life and where I put my greatest amount of energy - being available for my wife and children, writing, practicing my inner work and so forth. (page 233)

Carlson went on to say that it assisted him stay focussed.  The challenge for all of us is to question overselves what’s really important to us?  Pope Francis points us to two principles of Catholic Social Teaching:  solidarity and subsidiarity.  In his book Let Us Dream, the Holy Father writes:

Solidarity acknowledges our interconnectedness:  we are creatures in relationship, with duties toward each other, and are called to participate in society.  But subsidiarity ensures that we do not distort the idea of solidarity, which involves recognising and respecting the autonomy of others as subjects of their own destiny. (page 53)

So our challenge for 2023 is simply to endeavour to be more selfless and put the needs of others first.  That’s pretty countercultural in our secular society that has a focus on the individual.  But, encouragingly, we see evidence of solidarity whenever people experience hardships.  The natural disasters in recent years certainly are evidence of this.

God Bless

Mr Peter McLoughlin
College Principal

6 February 2023

A warm welcome back to our SJC families and students.  A special welcome to our new Year 7 community.

This year we have moved to a new school management platform called Compass. Compass will be our primary parent communication tool for day-to-day updates, upcoming events and notifications.

Compass will allow you to access up-to-date and meaningful information about our school and your child’s progress.  Compass includes many different features, including the ability to:

• be informed of important updates, events, and reminders
• review your child’s attendance
• view your child’s schedule (timetable) and school calendar
• monitor your child’s assessment tasks
• download and view your child’s SEAAR and Academic Reports
• book Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews
• pay and provide digital consent for events (no more permission slips)
• pay school fees

On 16 January, every family received a separate login to Compass.  This information was provided via email and SMS.  On 6 February, these details were re-sent to your email address if you haven't activated your account. 

A reminder that you can access Compass two ways:

• the Parent Portal, on any web browser (Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari etc) on your computer/device, or
• the Compass School Manager app, available on any mobile device.

We ask that you download the Compass app onto your device.  This will ensure that we can continue to share information with you in a timely manner.  The app is available for download via the App store on your device Google Playstore OR Apple Store. Instructions for using both the portal and the app are on our College website.  After you download the app please ensure you search for "Banora Point" and scroll down to where you will find St Joseph's College - Banora Point. 

If you have any issues logging into the Compass platform, please contact the College.  We look forward to further strengthening our family-school partnership in 2023 and believe that Compass will further enhance this. 

Mrs Georgia James and Mr Jack Hamers
Compass School Rollout Team

Great Start for a New School Year

We all want the best for our students - your children - and their experiences while attending St Joseph's College.  We encourage you to read these newsletters as there will be a number of support resources to assist you and your child/ren get the best high school experience possible.

Today, we have a number of tips, starting with a Great Start for a New School Year, as well as:

Starting Secondary School - High School Here We Come.

Starting Secondary School - Check In.

Please take some time as a family to discuss some of the points raised therein.

Returning to School (Secondary)

As students return to school, it is important to keep road safety in mind. Take time to talk with your children about travelling to and from school safely.  Here are some safety tips:

1. Be alert and aware by travelling distraction-free.  Ask children to take off their headphones when walking, exiting or entering the bus and crossing the road.
2. Choose a safe place to cross.  The fastest way, may not be the safest way. Walk the extra distance to use a pedestrian crossing or traffic island.
3. Keep safe getting in and out of the car.  Always use the door closest to the kerb.
4. Keep safe getting on and off the bus.  Wait at the bus stop and stand at least one step back from the edge of the road.  Wait until the bus has gone, before you cross the road.
5. Bus Stops/ Bus Interchange Areas.  Model safe behaviour while waiting for the bus.  Remember that younger students look up to you, so please lead by example, so they learn to behave safely while waiting for the bus and travelling on the bus.
6. Wearing a helmet.  Children must wear a helmet when riding a bike in any public place – it’s the law.
7. Student driver reminder.  If your child will be driving to and from school, remind them that they are required to adhere to all road rules and drive in a safe and responsible manner.  Inexperienced drivers commonly underestimate the risks associated with particular driving behaviours or situations and overestimate their capacity to deal with them.  Have a caring conversation about road speeds on the route that they travel, where they will park and the importance of wearing a seatbelt.  According to recent research 1 in 5 teens has been found to consistently not wear a seat belt.

Restricted licence holders including learner, P1 and P2 drivers are not permitted to use their phone at all while driving or riding.  This includes the use of hands-free and Bluetooth functions.  Ask them to keep their phone in their bag or glovebox.

You may choose to watch with them Understanding Casual Speeding Every K Counts.

Be a positive role model when you are a pedestrian, passenger and driver. Children learn from what they see, as well as what we say.

Never sacrifice safety for convenience.

Source: https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/

Safer Internet Day, Tuesday 7 February - Connect. Reflect. Protect.

Safer Internet Day is a global event that brings together communities, families, schools and organisations from more than 180 countries to help create safer online spaces.  This important campaign is celebrating its 20 year anniversary in 2023, so it's a good time to reflect on the past two decades, as well as look towards the future.  The world is more connected than ever before, making online safety awareness even more important.  That’s why the eSafety Commissioner's 2023 campaign is encouraging everyone to Connect. Reflect. Protect:

• Connect safely and with purpose – by keeping apps and devices secure and using social media in positive ways.
• Reflect before we act – by taking a moment to consider how what we do and say online may affect others.
• Protect ourselves by taking action – by telling family, friends or colleagues about eSafety and how we can help.  

In support of Safer Internet Day, the office of the eSafety is also offering Free eSafety parent and carer webinars.

Rosies

Rosies is a social justice opportunity for our Year 11 and 12 students, and is running again in 2023.  There will be four opportunities available for students (and teachers) to sign up and attend.  It involves the students and a teacher meeting at school at 6:25pm (NSW time) on a Tuesday evening (only selected dates) where the teacher will drive the group up together to Burleigh.  The evening will involve having a chat and assisting with serving a drink and a small bite to eat with those less fortunate. The group will return to school at about 10:30pm (NSW time).  All Year 11 and 12 students have been emailed a link to sign up if they are interested.  This is a great opportunity to "Strive Together" to assist those in need.  Please have a conversation with your child/ren if you think this opportunity may be of interest.

The first evening is coming up in Week 3, Tuesday 14 February.

If you have any questions contact Mr Brown.

Mr Eamon Brown
Assistant Principal - Mission

Study Skills Handbook - A very useful student resource

St Joseph's College subscribed to this online resource in 2012, and has provided access to its students for over ten years.  We will continue to remind students (and their families) periodically of this great resource through the College newsletter of the study skills website www.studyskillshandbook.com.au.

This website will help you develop essential skills for academic success.  There are units of work on improving time management skills, how to study, research skills, summarising, technology use, brain and memory and much more.  Everything you need to know about becoming a more powerful learner and improving your marks at school can be found on this site.  For example, learn how the colour of your room affects your ability to study, what the best study techniques are for your type of brain, how to improve your handwriting and useful software and Apps to block yourself from technology distractions.

You will also see lots of useful handouts, grids and planners at the bottom of the THINGS TO PRINT page.

To access the handbook, go to www.studyskillshandbook.com.au and login with these details:

Username:  sjc
Password:  24results

Study Skills Tips for January:  The Importance of Setting Goals

Every year students are encouraged to set goals for the year.  But we don’t always explain why setting goals is important.  Research has shown that people who set goals (and use them effectively) not only perform better, but suffer from less stress and anxiety and are happier and more satisfied with life.  In 1953 a Harvard Uni study showed that 3% of the students graduating that year wrote down their specific career goals.  Twenty years later, a team of researchers interviewed the class and found that the 3% who had written down their goals were worth more financially than the other 97% combined!

Here are some more reasons why you might like to set some goals for the year:

• Setting goals gets you to think about possibilities.
• Goals give you a direction to work towards.
• Goals give you a clear picture of where you want to go.
• Goals help you to push yourself just that little bit more.
• Goals help you have a more fun and fulfilled life.
• Goals can give you motivation and focus.
• Setting goals helps you do all the things you want to do in life!

You have probably set many goals already without even realising it – not every goal has to be written down but it certainly helps you to stay on track if you do write it out.  You can set goals for all the different aspects of your life.

Remember, if you don’t set goals, you’ll find that life just sort of ‘happens’ to you rather than you actually deciding what you want out of life then making what you really want happen!  So get in the driver’s seat of your life and take control with your goals this year – both personal and academic.

You and your parents can learn more about how to achieve your academic goals at www.studyskillshandbook.com.au by logging in with the details below and working through some of the units.

Username:  sjc
Password:  24results

Mr Carlo Trimboli
Acting Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

Year 7 Laptops 

I would like to extend all families a very warm welcome to our 2023 school year.  A special welcome to our new Year 7 community and new enrolments in Year 8-11. 

All students in Year 7 have now had the opportunity to attend a digital citizenship presentation that focused on how students can stay safe online.  The presentation was a timely reminder to ensure that students are keeping their devices and personal information safe, and that they are demonstrating an appropriate standard of behaviour online. 

Following this presentation, the students received their username and password, accessed Compass and installed the College printer.  The College printer is located in the library. Students have an allowance of $20 per semester.  Printing costs 10 cents for B&W and 50 cents for colour.  Any printing beyond this the students will need to bring cash payment to the library for further credit. 

The students are now using their laptops and Google Workspace daily. 

A couple of key reminder for students:

• Laptops should be recharged overnight in a central location in the home. Students are not to bring their chargers to school.  We have a limited supply of chargers in the library where students can bring their device and charge it at lunch time, however, this is not to be a regular occurrence
• Always carry your laptop in its case
• Locks on lockers are essential
• Report any cyber-bullying to a teacher and/or parent 
• Protect your passwords and never give personal information to strangers and companies
• Be respectful in your online interactions with others

IT Support is available for students in the library before school, during lunch and AWC.

I look forward to working with your child throughout the year.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. 

Mrs Georgia James
Leader of Learning Technologies

Welcome to the 2023 school year!  We have a lot of information to share today with parents and carers, so this newsletter includes a link to Sport @ SJC as well as information about the upcoming Swimming Carnival Change Explained.

I ask you to please take some time to read through the contents of these two letters.

Ms Madeline Ilic
Leader of Sport

HOMEWORK HUB is in our College Library
Monday - Thursdays (Supervised & Free)
From 3:15-5:00pm

Stay as long or as short as you like.  Receive help with assignments or homework.  New students to the school are welcome – especially Year 7 students.

Mrs Fin & Mrs Williams

Kinetic (formerly Surfside Buslines) has provided us with the following bus timetable for 2023:

Kinetic Bus Timetables January 2023