Newsletter 3: Friday 5 April 2024

Dear Members of the St Joseph’s College Family,

We have had a very busy time here at the College since our last newsletter:  We hosted our annual Open Evening (and met with some wonderful and excited students who would like to join our school community in 2025’s Year 7 intake); our students in Years 7 & 9 sat for the NAPLAN tests; we’ve celebrated our very own St Joseph’s Day (87% student attendance!) with a full school mass and a fete-style afternoon for our students and staff; we enjoyed showing support for each other through random acts of kindness (initiated this year); we had our parents meet for the first 2024 School Community Group; we took part in/or supported the College Cross Country after celebrating the College’s Easter Liturgy; and we’ve prepared for Parent/Teacher/Student nights - and we're still not done!

We do have a social media presence and I encourage our community members to check on the College’s Facebook site and Instagram. I hope you are enjoying the SJC Weekly Wrap - it is most certainly an ‘immediate’ way of sharing news from the College.  We have a lot of fun with these, and it really does indicate how much is actually happening at school and how fast-paced life has become.

St Joseph’s Day - 19 March

God of Peace and Justice on this Saint Joseph’s Day we ask that you give us the strength to act with peace, justice and faith even in our most challenging times, just as Joseph did.

Please join with me in congratulating the commitment of staff, celebrated as part of our 2024 St Joseph’s Day Mass:

10 Years (2014-2024):  Mr Jonathan Visser

20 Years (2004-2024):  Mrs Leonie Serone, Mrs Nicole Taylor & Mr Carlo Trimboli

25 years (1999-2024):  Mrs Dianne Pinkstone

Thank you for all you have contributed to the College and our school community.  As I said in our last newsletter, there have been many changes to the area, many challenges faced and met, and many wonderful memories for our long-standing staff.  On behalf of the College community, I thank you for your service.

“In a world where you can be anything, BE KIND.”

An initiative, introduced at a recent staff prayer by Ms Celia Pennay and Mr Jordan Attenborough-Doyle, took hold of the school during this time, where students and staff were encouraged to nominate a fellow student or member of staff for being kind, and for kind acts that a person in the school community had performed.  Envelopes (specially designed by Ms Pennay) were delivered across the school showing appreciation for those acts.

This kindness initiative also seemed to reflect, I felt, the very ethos of the school:  Sincerity – Humility – Courage – Wisdom, as it takes sincerity to acknowledge someone, humility to reflect that help has been given or a kindness shown, courage to act, and wisdom to recognise a person for their act of kindness.  I thank everyone who took part in this initiative, and genuinely thank both Celia and Jordan for all their efforts in making this happen.

School Community Group

On Monday 25 March, we invited interested parents and carers to our first 2024 School Community Group, and I would like to thank all those who took time out of their busy schedules and attended this night.  As always, parent feedback does play a part in our future planning, and I appreciate the openness and honesty expressed.  I look forward to further meetings of the School Community Group.

Parent Assembly Annual Conference

All parents are warmly invited to attend the upcoming Parent Assembly Conference to be held on 15 June at Opal Cove where we'll delve into the theme, "Your Child Our Schools: Nurturing Hearts and Minds."  Discover valuable insights and strategies to support your child's holistic development.  Register soon as places fill quickly - Parent Assembly Annual Conference.

Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews - 3 April and 8 April

Many thanks to the parents and students who took advantage of the opportunity of speaking with teachers at Wednesday (3 April) night’s interviews.  We have another opportunity this coming Monday (8 April), with bookings closing this weekend.  My thanks also to staff who are committed to the process of providing feedback.

Year 7 2025 Enrolments

I draw the attention of parents wishing to enrol their children at St Joseph’s College  for Year 7 in 2025.  Please note that there are two vital steps to this process: completing the online enrolment application by the due date; and booking an enrolment interview.

• Friday 12 April:  Year 7 2025 Applications Close (last day of school for Term 1).  To submit your application, please visit: bit.ly/3J4NP0Q.
• Tuesday 14 May, Thursday 16 May & Monday 20 May:  Year 7 2025 Interviews held.  To book your Enrolment Interview please visit: bit.ly/3xkZfuN.

If you require assistance with your application, please contact:  Enrolment Officer, Ms Holland: bps-enrolments@lism.catholic.edu.au. 

Catholic Schools Week

Next week we celebrate Catholic Schools Week.

Catholic schools are safe, supportive learning communities where the unique dignity of each child is respected, nurtured and valued.  Every child matters, and every teacher embraces the privilege and challenge of teaching in a Catholic school.

Every child in a school in the Lismore Diocese belongs to a community of educators whose aim is to support them in their Catholic school journey.

I thank you all for your continued support of your children - our students - as they navigate their way through secondary education here at St Joseph’s College, and as a staff we appreciate the opportunity to work in partnership with you.  We celebrate the accomplishments of this term and look forward to continuing the journey together in Term 2. 

ANZAC Day 2024 - Thursday 25 April

This year, ANZAC Day (25 April) commemorations will take place during the school holidays.  Again we would like our students to take part in the Tweed Heads and Coolangatta RSL ANZAC Day March, and seek the support of all  students, especially our seniors, to support the march by attending.  

There is an expectation that all members of the STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL will attend and represent the College at the march on the day, however, all students are warmly invited to attend to represent the College.

Please refer to the recent Compass alert for more information.  If you wish for your child to attend and participate in the march, please opt into the ANZAC Day March 2024 Event in Compass.  All students are reminded that we assemble in full winter formal uniform by 9:45am at Jack Evans Boat Harbour (next to the Children’s Playground) Boundary Street, Tweed Heads.

May is the month of Mary

In the Catholic Church, the month of May is “Mary's Month”.  It's the month we honour Blessed Mary as the Mother of Jesus and our Heavenly Mother.

Mary has a unique and privileged place in salvation history and in the Church.  Because she responded yes to becoming the Mother of God, she is our first model of discipleship and our model of grace and trust in God.  May is most well-known as a specific month of the year when special devotions are performed in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

In preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year 'Pilgrims of Hope', 2024 has been designated a Year of Prayer by Pope Francis.  This presents us all with a significant opportunity to revisit the basics of prayer, and for us to become even more a people of prayer.  With this in mind, I share with you the words of the Hail Mary:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou among women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.  Amen.

Australia has its special own connection with Mary as we chose her, under the title of Help of Christians, as principal Patroness.  I also share with you today a special prayer to her:

Prayer to Mary, Help of Christians: Australia’s Patroness
Lord, you place deep in our hearts the love of Mary, Help of Christians. Through her prayers grant wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our Citizens.  Under her protection, may Australia be granted harmony, justice and peace.  We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

May is also the month where we celebrate Mother’s Day, that being on the second Sunday in May (this year, on Sunday 12 May).  As our next newsletter will be going out after that date, I would like to acknowledge all our mums in today’s newsletter.  I thank all the mothers in our school community, and wish them all a very Happy Mother’s Day!  I share with you a Mother’s Day prayer:

Dear Lord,

On this special day, we show our gratitude for all Mothers.
We thank them for their all-encompassing love, for their commitment, care and kindness.
We thank them for their wisdom, for helping us grow and flourish.
We thank them for their strength, for their sacrifices, and for being there in times of need.
And we thank them for their encouragement, for being our cheer leaders and celebrating our achievements.
Lord, help Mothers know how much they are loved and appreciated.
We ask that you bless all Mothers, including those who are no longer with us today.

Amen.

In the week leading up to Mother’s Day, the SRC will also be holding Mother’s Day stalls selling small gifts, so we encourage students to support this initiative (and buy something to say, THANKS MUM!).  For, it is all the little things (they) do for our family that are remembered and rewarded.

Information for families

I ask that you please take the time to read through this newsletter, as you will find more important information that will help you navigate your way through to the end of this term, and on to the commencement of the new term.

I hope you all enjoy the holiday break, that you have time together with your family, friends or loved ones, and that everyone returns safely to the College on 29 April.

God Bless

Mr Ryan Campbell
Principal

Bunning BBQ this Sunday in support of the Vietnam Immersion Program

Dear community members,

If you have a trip to Bunnings, South Tweed, planned for the weekend then stop in and buy a sausage sandwich on Sunday to support the Year 11 students going on the Vietnam Immersion Program later this year. 

Vietnam Immersion 2023

The goal for the year is to raise $10,000 to fund the building of a house for an underprivileged family in southern Vietnam.  Your part in supporting this is much appreciated.

Kind regards
SJC

Principal's Notes

Daylight Savings Time ends this Sunday, 7 April

Don’t forget to turn your clock back one (1) hour!
From Week 11, NSW will be on Australian Eastern Standard Time,
which then remains until Daylight Savings Time returns in October.

Term 2 Dates

Following the completion of Term 1 next Friday (12 April), we wish all families a restful and happy holiday break.  We look forward to welcoming all students back to school on Monday 29 April for Term 2.  Please note that we commence Term 2 in an ‘A’ week - this will be Day 1 of the timetable.

To assist families with forward planning throughout the upcoming term, please take note of the scheduled student-free days below:

• Tuesday 28 May:  Proclaim Lismore (Tweed) Staff Day
• Monday 10 June:  King’s Birthday (all NSW schools closed for the Public Holiday)
• Thursday 4 July:  Staff Professional Learning Day
• Friday 5 July:  Staff Spirituality Day

Therefore, Term 2 lessons conclude on Wednesday 3 July.

Uniform Expectations - Terms 2 and 3 ‘Winter Uniform’

As Term 1 draws to a close, we would like to provide some timely reminders regarding uniform for the commencement of Term 2.

We will be welcoming our students back in full ‘Winter uniform' for the commencement of Term 2 on Monday 29 April.  This includes our boys wearing ties for Term 2 and 3.

Please note that only the College jumper or College jacket can be worn as outer garments. No other jumpers, hoodies, jackets, etc can be worn.

For further information, the College Uniform Policy can be found on the College website.  Parents / Carers are asked to positively encourage correct uniform and grooming at all times.  Students should leave home and travel to the College dressed as per expectations here at the College.  Uniform or grooming concerns may result in punitive actions taken until the matter is resolved.

This next week and the coming school holidays are the perfect opportunity to rectify any issues regarding dress standards and personal grooming habits.

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:

1. 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).
2. Remind your child to be at the Parent Reception at the time stated in your note.
3. 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.

E-bikes

In NSW, there are two types of permitted e-bikes:

1. A power-assisted pedal cycle:

• has one or more motors attached with a combined maximum power output of up to 200 watts
• can't be propelled only by the motor/s
• weighs less than 50kg (including batteries)
• has a height-adjustable seat.

2. Electrically power-assisted cycle:

An electrically power-assisted cycle has a maximum continuous rated power of up to 500 watts.  This power output must be:

• progressively reduced as the bicycle’s speed increases beyond 6km/h cut off when:
• your bicycle reaches a speed of 25km/h
• you stop pedalling and the speed exceeds 6km/h.

The rider must primarily propel these bikes – a motor can't be the only source propelling it.  The motor should only help the rider, like when going uphill or facing strong winds.

Petrol-Powered bicycles

All petrol-powered bicycles are illegal on NSW roads and road-related areas like footpaths, shared paths, cycle ways and cycle paths.

This includes bicycles that:

• have a petrol-powered engine attached before or after purchase
• are powered by other types of internal combustion engines.

Petrol-powered bicycles are faster than regular bicycles, reaching moped and small motorcycle speeds.

Parents and carers should now be aware that it is illegal to ride these bicycles (petrol-powered bicycles, or e-bikes that don't comply with legislative standards) outside private property, and (we have been advised by the Lismore Catholic Schools Office) that they are banned from being stored on school property.

Student Engagement and Application Reports (SEAARs)

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 2 will be released in Week 11 (Term 1).

Congratulations to the students below who received a perfect SEAAR average of 5.0 for Cycle 1:

Tell Them From Me Survey

Early next term the College will be inviting students, teachers and parents to provide feedback on their experience of our school using an online survey.  The surveys are an important part of our whole school evaluation and planning process.

For parents and carers, we would like to invite you to complete the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey.  As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community, we would greatly appreciate your feedback.  The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at St Joseph’s College.  The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Further information will be provided in the coming weeks in the lead up to the survey window.

Safe on Social

On Monday 4 March, St Joseph’s College hosted Safe on Social.  Both Year 7 and Year 11 students attended a presentation during the day, while parents from our school, and other local primary schools, were invited to attend the evening session.  We thank those parents who attended the evening session to gain valuable insights and information regarding keeping their children safe online.

From the school’s perspective, it was interesting to note the following points highlighted to our parents in attendance:

• The importance of ongoing and open conversations with our children about being safe online and how to report any concerns;
• Being mindful of what is posted online and deepfakes;
• To not have phones in a child’s bedroom for a variety of reasons, including studies showing a link between people sleeping with their phones having an increase in anxiety and depression.

National Walk Safely to School Day - 10 May 2024

Your child is never too old to be reminded about the importance of road safety.  Friday 10 May 2024 (Week 2, Term 2) is National Walk Safely to School Day.  We ask that you remind your child of the importance of not walking distracted.

As pedestrians, we become more vulnerable when stepping out from the kerb if our headspace is occupied with music and mobile phones.  These devices limit hearing and reduce concentration and reaction times.

Safety tips for your child when they are a pedestrian include:

• Head up and phone down and take out your earphones.
• Never cross the street while using an electronic device.
• Never assume a vehicle will stop for you. Wait until it completely stops.
• Where possible, cross at marked crossings or traffic lights.
• Before you cross a road, think about whether a driver can see you, and parents can encourage their child’s critical thinking practices with reminders of the Stop, Look, Listen and Think message.
• Never sacrificing safety for convenience.
• Always waiting until the school bus has left before seeing if it is safe to cross the road.
• Always walk on the footpath if one is available; if you must walk on the street, safely face oncoming traffic.

Help your child to identify the safest places to cross the road when travelling to and from school.  Teach your child to avoid any distractions that could compromise their safety as a pedestrian by modelling these behaviours.  For more information go to Transport NSW On The Move.

Today we also include some reflections on recent Student Discipleship opportunities that our students have been fortunate enough to attend.

Mr Eamon Brown
Assistant Principal - Mission

From the Mission Team

Encounter Rally - St Joseph's College, Friday 8 March 2024

St Joseph’s College held its first Encounter Rally of 2024 in Week 6 of Term 1.  Encounter Rally continues to grow in our College community, and we are excited to see the momentum building within our school based ministry opportunities (Check out our first one for 2024 on Facebook).

Below is an article from one of our senior students who has chosen to share his Encounter Rally experience with our community:

Firstly I would like to say that I would highly recommend going to Encounter rally nights like this, I have been to every one and I can gladly say that they keep getting better and better.

When we first arrived, we all got together and played games while we waited for the start. Then we said grace and enjoyed pizza and soft drinks.  After that we all grouped together in the COLA and were introduced to our MCs, Oliva Baxter and Caleb Matheson.

These two MC’s did an amazing job of setting the tone of the night, it was a pleasure seeing them help run the night and I hope that they know they did a truly well done job.  After their introduction, they led us to the Doyle Centre where we played icebreaker mini games to help us build team skills with our group.  These games included eating a donut off of a string (I smashed that one), ping pong ball and spoon race, a game where you can't touch any of the wires and have to dodge them and more.  We then proceeded back to the COLA where we listened to the College Youth Minister, Brendon, from Xavier Catholic College.  Brendon informed us about the two thieves upon the crosses next to Jesus and revealed to us that the best selling book every year is in fact the bible. 

To conclude the night, we had the pleasure to experience a prayer session, where we could go to prayer teams, pick a parable from Jesus that was hanging from the ceiling, listen to the Music Ministry Group or pray your own way.  This was personally my favourite part of the night.  I firstly visited prayer teams, which I highly recommend, and had the chance to experience God real closely as he was listening to our prayers.  After that I took a parable and read it, opening the bible to expand the context within that parable to educate me more on Christ.  Finally, I just had some 1-on-1 time with God and just decided to pray.  I sat there in the middle of the room praying with all the people around me.

Overall, Encounter Rally was a phenomenal experience.  Not only did I meet new people, but my relationship with Jesus has developed more from that night.  That night has opened up my faith more than ever and I can say it is the strongest it has ever been. I can’t wait for future encounter rallies.  I would recommend it for everyone, what do you have to lose?

Written by Tyson Smith (Year 12) 

The St Joseph’s Ministry Team is pleased to announce that the next Encounter Rally will be held in Week 2 of Term 3.  We encourage all students to step outside their comfort zone and consider attending Encounter Rally in Term 3.  

LEAD - 21 & 22 March 2024

On Thursday 21 March, a group of senior students from St Joseph’s College attended the annual LEAD Conference at McAuley Catholic College, Grafton. 

Below is an article from one of our senior students who has chosen to share her LEAD experience with our community:

LEAD was an amazing experience that I and fellow Year 11 and 12 students had the amazing opportunity to attend.  LEAD involved an overnight stay at McAuley Catholic College in Grafton in which we involved ourselves in worship, love and gaining a greater connection with God!  We listened to amazing keynote speakers who highlighted this year's theme of RISE, and living an extraordinary life, being different and not being a photocopy of everyone else, which so many people become.  My favourite part of being at LEAD was the band Wildfire, while also catching up and making so many friends and connections with people throughout the Lismore Diocese.  I would recommend LEAD for future Year 11 and 12 students as it's a beautiful space to connect and show appreciation for each other and God.

Written by Annabelle Stribling (Year 12) 

Attached is an article that has been developed by the CSO Mission Team regarding LEAD. 

Rise - Proclaim Lismore - 2024 LEAD

Easter Liturgy - St Joseph's College, 28 March & 2 April 2024

On Thursday 28 March, St Joseph’s College held Part 1 of our Easter Liturgy. 

This scene saw the events of Jesus' death unfold.  As Jesus took up His cross and walked towards calvary, Roman soldiers are relentless and forceful.  Simon of Cyrene is forced to help Jesus carry His cross.  Jesus is nailed to the cross, where He breathes His last breath.  His body is taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb and the stone is rolled over the entrance. 

On Tuesday 2 April, students were back at school and ready for Part 2 of the Liturgy. 

This scene saw the story of the disciples travelling to Emmaus, where they meet the risen Jesus along the way.  However, they do not recognise Jesus, however they invite Him to stay with them and share a meal together.  Jesus breaks bread and the disciples recognise Him.  Jesus vanishes and they are left in awe. 

The St Joseph’s Ministry Team would like to especially thank the following individuals and groups for their incredible contributions in making the Easter Liturgy come to life in such a successful way:

• Ms Danielle Young and the Year 11 Drama Class

• Olivia Baxter (Roman soldier, disciple)
• Connor Fogarty (Roman soldier, disciple)
• Schae Gillieatt (narrator)
• Scarlett Kelly (disciple)
• Ruby Lalor (disciple)  
• Caleb Matheson (Jesus)
• Abigail Oehlmann (servant, Simon of Cyrene, disciple) 
• Zack Winders (Pontius Pilate, disciple) 

• Mr Jesse Carroll and the Year 12 Entertainment Class 

• Dior Malihom 
• Oscar Oehlmann
• Arlo Rabe-Tooley 
• Stephanie Walsh 
• Laynee Watkinson 

We hope that our St Joseph’s community had a wonderful Easter, filled with love, joy and the hope of Jesus Christ.

God bless, 
Ministry Team

Go Team Mission!

School Attendance

We have commenced the process of checking in on students with increased absenteeism.  This is a critical part of our obligation to ensure that all young people access education in line with the NSW Education Act 1990.  This is a great reminder that every day at school counts - attendance matters!

If you have concerns about your child/ren’s pattern of attendance, please don’t hesitate to contact their Head of House or me directly to discuss how we can support you and your family.

Mr Mathew Lynch
Leader of Pastoral Care

Study Skills Tips for April:  Maximising Your Study Efficiency:  The 80-20 Rule

Mr Carlo Trimboli
Leader of Pedagogy

Cross County Carnival

Our College Cross Country Carnival was held on Thursday 28 March.  We were very grateful that the rain stopped for one day to allow our students to compete.  It was awesome to see the number of students who stepped up and took on the challenge of running our 4km championship course; this year we had over 100 competitors.  It is very pleasing to see that this number is growing every year.

Congratulations to HANLY house who was crowned House Champions.  Congratulations also go to our students who won their races.  The final results of the carnival are below.  The top six in each age group have qualified for the Diocesan Cross Country Carnival, this list will be placed on the Sports Desk Google Classroom and communication will be sent out next term to these students.

The open boys soccer team travelled to Lennox Head for the Diocesan Carnival.  In hot conditions, the team managed 2 wins out of 4 games.  The losses were tight games (both 1-0) and the team were very close to making the final, only missing out on goal difference.  Everyone in the team gave it their all and represented the College proudly.

Northern Country Rugby League Trials

After the Easter long weekend, we had a number of students who travelled to South West Rocks to represent the Lismore Diocesan Rugby League teams to compete against the Maitland-Newcastle Dioceses teams for selection into the Northern Country teams.  Congratulations to Jalen Beaty (15s Boys), Annika Parker (16s Girls) and Summer Barton (Open Girls) who have been selected into the Northern Country teams that will compete at the New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges (NSW CCC) carnival in May to compete and play for selection into the NSW CCC teams.  We wish these students all the best for the next step in their representative pathway.

Diocesan Netball Trials

On Friday, 5 April, the Lismore Diocesan Netball trials were held.  We had four students - Eva Liles, Madison Peisley, Fallon Twindley and Sienna Westall - who were successful in being invited to attend these trials from over 180 applicants across the Diocese.  It was a highly competitive trial that had a lot of talent on show with everyone competing for one of the ten places in the Lismore Diocesan team.  Congratulations to Madison and Sienna who have been selected into the Opens and 15s teams respectively.  We wish these girls all the best for when they compete at the New South Wales Combined Catholic Colleges (NSW CCC) carnival next term to compete and play for selection into the NSWCCC team.

Northern Diocesan Opens Football

The open boys soccer team travelled to Lennox Head for the Diocesan carnival.  In hot conditions, the team managed 2 wins out of 4 games.  The losses were tight games (both 1-0) and the team were very close to making the final, only missing out on goal difference.  Everyone in the team gave it their all and represented the College proudly.

This term, Year 11 Work Readiness Pathway students participated in an integrated English Studies and Work Studies unit aimed at equipping them with essential job application and interview skills.  Their journey began with learning the fundamentals of crafting a formal job application, including writing cover letters and tailoring resumes to specific job advertisements.

As part of their practical learning, students engaged in the process of finding entry-level job opportunities and applying their newfound skills to secure interviews.  The culmination of this learning experience was a mock job interview, where students were tasked with dressing professionally, presenting themselves at the front office, and undergoing a formal interview with a volunteer from the public.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our volunteers who selflessly dedicated their time and shared their expertise from diverse industries:  Karen Kercselics, Work Placement Coordinator at Connect Northern Rivers; Karen Arnold, Managing Director and Consultant at Effective Workplace Solutions; Michael Smith, CEO of Medical Research; John Keating, Legal Practice Director/Solicitor at Keating Law; Chris Jobson, Mechanic and Manager at TJM Tweed Heads; and Chris Holt, Licensed Real Estate Agent at McGrath Estate Agents, McGrath Coolangatta/Tweed Heads.  Their invaluable contributions have significantly enriched the learning experiences of our students, fostering their growth and development as they prepare for the workforce.

Special thanks to Ms Carlee Parker for organising the mock job interviews and to our English teaching team, Mrs Stephanie Anderson, Mrs Penny-Ann May, and Ms Caitlin Lidbetter, for their support.  Congratulations to our Year 11s for their active participation and commitment to this real-world learning experience.

Ms Hannah Lindschau
Leader of Work Readiness Pathway

Harmony Week in the College Resource Centre from 21 March

It is a time to celebrate Australian multiculturalism, and the successful integration of migrants into our community.  Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world and we should celebrate this and work to maintain it.  Harmony Week is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values.

The Resource Centre has a range of activities, including colouring wrist bands, making Clickity Clacks and a poster competition.  There is a display featuring books and authors from around the world.  Consider the following statistics about Australia’s cultural diversity:

• nearly half (49 per cent) of Australians were born overseas or have at least one parent who was.
• we identify with over 300 ancestries.
• since 1945, more than 7.5 million people have migrated to Australia.
• 85 per cent of Australians agree multiculturalism has been good for Australia.
• apart from English, the most common languages spoken in Australia are Mandarin, Arabic, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Italian, Greek, Tagalog/Filipino, Hindi, Spanish and Punjabi.
• more than 70 Indigenous languages are spoken in Australia.

Epilepsy Awareness 26 March

Easter celebrations

Study Skills Year 7

The Study Skills program has been an enormous success. The students have all learnt effective study methods and how to manage time. They have also benefitted from learning how to harness both long term and short-term memory. See study tips below:

Mary Green
Teacher Librarian

Just a gentle reminder as the weather gets cooler (and thoughts turn to food), we ask that all recess orders and lunch orders are placed at the Canteen by 9:00am.

We are operating this last week of Term 1 with our regular Canteen menu. 

Enjoy the upcoming holiday break everyone, and see you in Term 2!

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.