Newsletter Term 2, Week 10 2023

Dear Members of the St Joseph's College Family,

During the course of this term, I have addressed humility and courage – aspects of our College Prayer.  I’d like to draw your attention to the phrase from the prayer:

Wisdom in our decisions

Hindsight is a wonderful thing!  I wonder how many decisions/choices we have made in our lives that we would reverse if we had the benefit of hindsight?!  Sadly, we also have such a fear of our opinions that we fail to share our wisdom with others.  In his book It’s Never Too Late.. author Patrick Lindsay offers the following advice regarding our ability to share wisdom:

It’s rewarding.
It brings benefits to both giver and receiver.
Pass on hard-won experience.
Especially where it can stop suffering or pain.
Hand on knowledge generously.
It will be repaid tenfold.

Good advice.  Assisting others to learn from your experiences.  That’s wisdom.  In 2021 Brother Bill, a Marist Brother recommended to me that I read the book The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku.  In the book Eddie, a Holocaust survivor shares how he found gratitude, kindness and hope in the darkest of places … Eddie wrote:

“Auschwitz was a death camp.
You never knew when you got up in the morning if you would come back to your bed – not that we had beds.  We slept on crude bunks, made of hard wooden planks that measured less than eight feet across.”  (page 77)

He went on to speak about ten men in those bunks, sleeping curled up like herrings and naked (enforced by Nazi guards) in the hope that they would die in the 8 degrees below zero temperatures!

He went on to write:

“Many people chose to take their own lives rather than go on.  It was so common there was even a phrase to describe it: go to the wire.  Auschwitz II – Birkenau, a sub-camp of the much larger Auschwitz camp complex, was surrounded by an electrified barbed-wire fence.  To touch this fence was certain death and so, to end their lives without giving the Nazis the satisfaction of killing them, people would run to the wire and grab it.”  (page 83)

Eddie wrote about many times wanting to “go to the wire” but his friend Kurt refused to let him end his life.  The friendship of Kurt saved his life.  Eddie went on to live.  He moved to Sydney, Australia, in 1950.  He was married, had two sons as well as many grandchildren and great grandchildren.  He received the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2013 for his significant contribution to Holocaust education and for his services to the Jewish community.

He possessed the wisdom to forgive.  He died in October 2021 as he put it, the happiest man on earth.

Let’s all practice the wisdom to find the joy in life.

Yours in Jesus, Mary and St Joseph.

Mr Peter McLoughlin
College Principal

26 June 2023

Compass - Parent link for attendance

When using the Compass link for student absences, please remember to scroll down and click on the button Add Attendance Note to reply and have your details recorded.  Unfortunately, if you don't click on this button, your response will not be submitted, nor update your child's attendance record.

Student/Parent/Teacher Interviews are scheduled for Wednesday, 19 July (Week 1) and Monday, 24 July (Week 2).  Students are encouraged to attend the interviews with their parents as a way to receive valuable feedback on their learning.

The appointments will be held in person at the Doyle Centre and MPC at St Joseph’s College.

Parents will be notified when bookings are open.  Bookings for Parent/Teacher Interviews will be made via Compass and further instruction to support parents and carers in making these booking will be shared soon.

For the attention of Parents of students in Years 7 and 8:

Please be aware when booking interviews, that your child has moved classes in Technology (Materials, Food, Digital Technology and Engineering/Timber) as well as Art and Music.  You are welcome to book an interview with their previous (Semester 1) teacher, however, this will not be their teacher moving forward.  If you would like to contact their new teacher you are able to do so via Compass.

Australian Catholics Magazine

For 25 years, Australian Catholics has been helping bring faith to life in Catholic schools and parish communities.  Their print publication and online resources help bring faith to life in Catholic parishes and is published four times a year and distributed to more than 100,000 families across the country.

Nuture faith in the home

The print magazine seeks to bring a sense of our global Catholic mission into the homes of Australian families.  Australian Catholics provide updates from Rome and from the Catholic bishops, and share stories of Australians on mission overseas.  Their goal is to give families a sense that they not only belong to a school or parish community, but to a community that extends across the globe and through the centuries.

The Australian Catholics magazine is available for families to take home from church.

Please click on this link for further information about the Australian Catholics magazine.

Please find attached some more information that parents may find useful.

Rosies

Rosies is a social justice initiatives in which our senior students can participate in.  Please see the Rosies newsletter attached here.

Vaping - Talking About Vaping with Young People

The North Coast Youth Vaping Taskforce has provided a flyer for the information of our parents and carers to start the conversation at home.  Please take the time to sit with your child or children and discuss with them this most serious health topic, and  why Talking About Vaping with Young People could make such a difference.  

NSW Health has other resources for parents and carers that might prove most helpful.

Term 3 Reflection Days for Years 7, 8, 9 & 10

As part of Proclaim Lismore – Students, and in conjunction with the School Evangelisation Program, each year group has a Reflection Day.

The aim of a Reflection Day is to involve the students in activities designed to develop their self-esteem and participation in decision-making.  The underlying theme is to develop a positive and active sense of community.  As a Catholic College these Reflection Days allow the students to participate in prayer and aim to develop peer relationships.

In the first week of Term 3, there will be a Reflection Day for each year group in Years 7 to 10.  These days are compulsory for all students at the College.  The Reflection Days will be held at the College on the following days:

        Year 7       -     Tuesday 18 July
        Year 9       -     Wednesday 19 July
        Year 8       -     Thursday 20 July
        Year 10     -     Friday 21 July

ALL STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO WEAR MUFTI (CASUAL CLOTHING) ON THEIR RESPECTIVE REFLECTION DAY – OR WEAR THEIR FULL SPORTS UNIFORM.

Wearing Mufti will incur a gold coin donation, which will be collected to support the Parish Pantry; this is a food service that supports families in need in our community.  We encourage students to participate in the community building aspects of this day as well as the social justice opportunity to help those in need.

All students are asked to bring their own morning tea, however, a BBQ (sausage sizzle) lunch and drink will be provided on the day.

Mr Eamon Brown
Assistant Principal - Mission

Encounter Rally

St Joseph’s College was very excited to hold the Encounter Rally on 9 June in the COLA.  As the COLA began to fill up, the Proclaim Lismore Ministry Team and their worship team, Wildfire, started playing the first of many songs for the evening.  After the 30 students from St Joseph’s College and Mount St Patrick College were settled in, we were introduced to our MCs, Georgia Chalmers and Tom Busbridge, who started with a scavenger hunt game.  This involved students racing around the College in teams and completing several tasks, such as guessing the name of songs just by listening to the first five seconds, eating a doughnut without using your hands and guessing what was in the box just by feeling around with your hands.  After everyone’s energy had run out, and the tasks had all been completed, we returned to the COLA.  We then had Natasha Wotherspoon (a St John’s College, Woodlawn staff member) and myself on a couch, answering questions about our faith.  Following the couch session, we had a special guest speaker, Hogan Rogers (Lismore CSO Youth Ministry Diocesan Office), who spoke about the meaning of Divine Intermission.  We had more songs like ‘O Come to the Altar’, ‘What a Beautiful Name’ and ‘Broken Vessels’ to end the evening.

Overall, the night was a great success, filled with food, community, faith and music. We all had a great time and can’t wait for the next Encounter Rally. Thank you to all those involved who made the night such a great success!

Written by Leilani Harmon (Year 12)

The Look, Cover, Write, Check summarising technique

The Look, Cover, Write, Check technique is a simple but effective method for improving summarising skills. This technique can help students and professionals alike to quickly and accurately summarise information.

Summarising is an essential skill for success in academic and professional settings. The ability to condense complex information into a concise and clear summary can help you communicate your ideas effectively. The Look, Cover, Write, Check technique is a great way to improve your summarising skills.

Explanation of Look, Cover, Write, Check technique

The Look, Cover, Write, Check technique involves looking at a piece of information, covering it, writing a brief summary, and then checking your work against the original. This technique helps to reinforce the key concepts and identify areas where more attention is necessary.

Step-by-step guide to using the technique

Step 1: Look

Begin by reading the information that you want to summarise carefully. Pay attention to the main ideas and key points.

Step 2: Cover

Cover the information that you just read with a piece of paper or your hand. This step is important as it will help you focus on the most important points.

Step 3: Write

Write a brief summary of the information that you just read. Try to capture the main ideas and key points.

Step 4: Check

Check your work against the original information. Make sure that your summary captures all the necessary information and makes sense.

Sample exercise for practice

SJC works closely with its parents and the community to fulfill the important role of educating the youth of the Tweed Heads region. Our motto, ‘Peace through Justice’ is modified from Pope Pius XII’s motto ‘Opus Justitiae Pax’ – The work of justice is peace. This original motto was taken up in 1939 at the outbreak of World War II. The motto transcends the circumstances of those times to inspire each of us through significant effort in our personal lives, to establish community at local and international levels. The dove of peace reinforces this message.

 Tips for improving summarising skills

• Focus on the key ideas and main points.
• Avoid including unnecessary details.
• Practice regularly to improve your summarising skills.
• Use graphic organisers to help you organise your thoughts.
• Read a variety of materials to build your background knowledge.

Benefits of using the Look, Cover, Write, Check technique

Using the Look, Cover, Write, Check technique can help you improve your summarising skills and develop good study habits. This technique can help you retain information better and prepare for tests and exams more effectively. It can also help you communicate ideas clearly and concisely.

Overall, the Look, Cover, Write, Check technique is a simple but effective way to improve your summarising skills. With practice, you can use this technique to condense complex information into concise and clear summaries.

Mr Carlo Trimboli
Acting Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

Big Science Competition

We had 45 students from Years 7, 8 and 9 participate in the Big Science Competition. This is a national competition that is open to any student from years 7-10. It is linked to the Australian Science curriculum and it requires students to focus their scientific knowledge and critical thinking skills to solve problems. All of the students should be proud of their effort and a special congratulations to the following students who obtained credits and distinction awards. 

Distinction: Taj Holland and Luciano Murray-Velloza.

Credit: Matilda Burrett, Darcy Busbridge, Charlotte Cheng, Chloe Joyce, Cooper Mackie, Hailey Pickett, Ruby Steele, Holly Vuksanovic, Rhys Langheim and Aidan Smith.

Harriet Magnus and Cleo Malihom also deserve a special mention because in addition to the Big Science Competition, they also recently participated in the Junior Science Olympiad, which is a more challenging exam which offers students to further extend their scientific knowledge.

Mrs Jo Burnett
Leader of Learning Science

In recent weeks, our HSIE classrooms have been providing opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of the humanities, as well as develop skills in technologies and coding. Additionally, students have been actively engaging in public speaking and debate, refining their communication abilities and critical thinking skills. 

Year 7 students combine Geography and coding with Microbits

To wrap up their semester of Geography, 7A and 7B students have been focusing on geographical skills and embarked on an exciting project that integrated their geography and coding abilities. By utilising Microbits, they were able to create functional compasses, combining their understanding of geographical concepts with the power of coding. This project empowered students to think critically, problem-solve, and develop valuable coding skills.

Year 11 Legal Studies students engage in an intense debate on whether Australia should have a Charter of Rights

Congratulations to the Year 11 Legal Studies students for their impressive participation in a thought-provoking debate on whether Australia should have a Charter of Rights!

The four teams (two for and two against) displayed thorough preparation and presented well-researched arguments. Their insightful perspectives and well-supported points demonstrated the power of informed discussion and critical thinking. Well done to all the students involved! 

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

Homework Hub will continue in Term 3 daily from Monday to Thursday from 3:15pm to 5:00pm in the College Library.  Everyone is welcome!

Mrs Fin & Mrs Williams

Diocese Netball Carnival

On Tuesday, 13 June, five SJC netball teams competed at the Diocese Netball Carnival here in Tweed Heads.  Two 7/8 Girls teams, two 9/10 Girls teams and a Senior Girls team competed against other schools, including MSPC through to St Mary’s Casino.  It was a lovely warm day and the students were excited for the day.

The 7/8 Girls had a great day and competed well against all other teams.  Team A ended up first in their pool, winning all their pool games.  Our Team B had only seven players for the day (no subs) and really started to develop as a team over the day.  They ended up with one win and two losses in their pool games.  The crossover round saw both teams play tough matches, with Team A coming away with the win to put them into the grand final.  With some great support from other teammates and parents, Team A went on to win the grand final.  None of the games would have been possible without the support of our umpires - thank you to all the girls who willingly umpired games. 

The 9/10 Girls also competed well.  Team A won all three of their pool games, against MSPC, Woodlawn and SMCC Casino respectively.  Team B had two wins, against Woodlawn and MSPC, and had a narrow loss of 2 to Trinity.  Both teams made it to the crossover round, where they were forced to go head-to-head.  This made it tricky for coaching as Ms Toohey was coach for both team.  Team A came away with the win and progressed to the finals where they beat Woodlawn to win the day.  Team B still had one game left, and unfortunately went down in the final to place 4th overall. 

The Senior Girls played well in their pool games and progressed to the semi-finals.  In a thrilling semi-final match, the Senior Girls' Netball team emerged victorious by one goal against their fierce rivals, Mt Saint Patrick College.  The game showcased their exceptional teamwork and determination.  However, in the closely contested grand final, with the scores tied at 11-11 at halftime, the team narrowly lost to Woodlawn.  Despite the loss, the Senior Girls can take immense pride in their exceptional teamwork, skill, and unwavering effort displayed throughout the entire day.

A special vote of thanks to all the girls who helped out with umpiring on the day.

Overall it was a great day with students representing the school proudly.

NSW All Schools Touch Football Carnival

On Wednesday, 21 June, two 7/8 SJC Touch Football teams competed at the NSW All Schools Touch Football Carnival in Ballina.  It was a great day and the students were excited for the day, having trained a number of days in the lead-up. 

The Year 7/8 Boys team competed extremely well, making it to the finals.  Despite a rocky start, with a loss to Ballina, the boys skills and teamwork improved with every game they played.  This resulted in them making it to the semi-finals against Tweed River, where a drop-off occurred to decide the victor.  Despite being in question to play the semis, due to injury, Toby Young was able to find space and score the winning try in the corner, progressing the team to the finals and securing a trip to Sydney.  The boys finished runners-up for the day with our MVP being Kaelem Ryan, who was brilliant in both offence and defence, often directing the team around the field.  The team is now set to play in Sydney on 2 August.

The 7/8 girls team also competed well.  They played 4 games; against Lindisfarne, Kingscliff (twice) and Ballina Coast High School.  The girls were stronger in defence, but so were the other teams.  Unfortunately that left the girls without a win, despite some close games.  The MVP for the day was Peyton Farr. 

A special vote of thanks, to Mr Attenborough-Doyle and Ms Toohey, for all their work in training and on the day of the carnival, and Mr McCormack for preparing the 9/10 teams for the following day's games.

On Thursday, 22 June, two 9/10 SJC Touch Football teams competed at the second day of the NSW All Schools Touch Football Carnival in Ballina.  Both Boys and Girls teams played five games; against Kingscliff, Tweed River, Ballina Coast High School, Cape Byron Steiner School and Richmond Christian College. 

The 9/10 Boys team improved throughout the day but were unlucky to miss out on semi-finals, finishing the day with one win and four losses.  The boys were willing to listen and learn from coaches and worked hard for each other all day.  Try scorers included Cooper Newell, Zac Jones, Seth Westall, Bailey Le Brese, Kyrone Rudman, Luke Ward-Petersen, Blake Webb, Bryce George, Seb Trimoli, with Seth Westall excelling in attack and defence all day. 

The 9/10 Girls team competed well making the semi-finals (finishing third overall for the day).  The semi-final was lost in a drop-off to Ballina Coast High School (a drop-off results in only three players from each team on the field after extra time) - a tough finish to a long day.

Notable mentions for the day included Eva Liles (scoring five tries) and solid all round play all day from Fallon Twindley and Summer Barton.  A special thanks to Seren Owen who attended as sports trainer and water girl, her enthusiasm and energy definitely rubbed off on the girls.

Ms Hannah Toohey

Additional Shop Hours this week ... and another sale!

Lowes are happy to announce their next two day 20% off sale event will take place this coming Thursday 29 June and Friday 30 June (the last two school days of this term).

This sale includes school uniforms!  Purchases can be made online or at the Lowes On-Campus Shop which will be open on both sale days from 8:00am–12:00noon. 

Therefore, the shop hours in Week 10 will be:

• Tuesday (normal hours/standard prices) – 12:00pm to 3:30pm
• Thursday (normal hours/sale event prices) – 8:00am to 12:00pm
• Friday (extended hours/sale event prices) – 8:00am to 12:00pm

The Lowes On-site Uniform Shop’s contact phone number is (during shop hours only) 07 5523 9300.  (Please note click and collect will not be available during the sale).