Newsletter 61 – Term 1 Week 6 2021

Assistant Principal- Religious Education

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Kellie-Marie Ford to the position of Assistant Principal: Religious Education, St Joseph’s College, Toowoomba.

In doing so I would like to thank my fellow interview panel members Dr Ken Avenell (Director Formation and Identity), Ms Sharon Collins (St Saviour’s College Principal) and Father Ray Crowley (St Joseph’s College Chaplain) for their engagement and wisdom in arriving at this successful outcome.

As you are aware Kellie-Marie is currently the Acting Assistant Principal Religious Education at St Joseph’s College, a role she has filled with great expertise and professionalism.

Kellie-Marie’s qualifications include a Masters of Theology (Religious Education) and a Bachelor of Secondary Education (Middle and Senior Years, English Literature and Chemistry) and undoubtedly her curriculum knowledge and expertise is her outstanding strength. She has a clear understanding of the requirements of the Religious Education Curriculum and has worked diligently to enhance the capacity of teachers at St Joseph’s College to deliver a customised and relevant curriculum.

Kellie-Marie also brings a compelling vision for the future of the school and the energy and drive to get things done. She has a strong desire to grow the College’s engagement with the story of Jesus through the Edmund Rice Charism and the Joey’s Way. We are very fortunate to have Kellie-Marie continuing on in a senior leadership role at St Joseph’s College.

I am sure you will join with me in congratulating Kellie-Marie on her appointment and in praying this prayer in supporting Kellie-Marie.

Dear God
Please help our leaders to understand that:
Our individual gifts are not about us,
Our leadership is not about us,
Our purpose here at St Joseph’s College is not about us.
A life of leadership and significance is about serving.
Serving those who need our gifts, our leadership, and our purpose.
Amen

St Joseph’s College Commitment to Improvement

Over the last year we have been working together as a community to gather information and feedback so that we can develop our four-year strategic plan for St Joseph’s College. The process that we have engaged with to create this plan has included the following.

• Re-examining our links with the history of our Toowoomba Diocese, the Toowoomba Community and evaluating our effectiveness as a College to provide students with access to an exceptional Catholic Education.
• Examining our context and how our Vision, Mission and Values align with this context.
• Developing our areas of strategic focus which are in alignment with the Toowoomba Catholic Schools School Renewal and Improvement Process.
• Creating our strategic directions which are evidence based, owned by the College community and which will empower all member of our community to demonstrate leadership in striving for our goals and developing partnerships with the wider community.
• The development of a draft plan that has been presented to the St Joseph’s College P&F Association and in the near future the College Board for feedback before being shared with the community mid-term two.

As the Principal of our wonderful College I am confident that this process has allowed us to create a dynamic and comprehensive draft strategic plan. A plan that will:
– Allow us to create annual action plans and review and reshape our strategic directions to create sustainable excellence.
– Form the basis for our teaching staff to develop their individual goals for the year which will be aligned with the strategic directions of the College and the annual action plan.
It certainly is an exciting time to be part of the St Joseph’s College community as we work together to continue to provide a wonderful education for the students that attend our College while continually seeking improvement in student outcomes in all areas.

Mobile Phones

A reminder please about the rules that exist in regard to mobile phones. I would ask that parents/carers take the time to ensure that our students understand the following expectations to ensure that we do not have increasing instances of mobile phones being confiscated.
Mobile Phones:
* Are to be switched off and kept out of sight during the school day, stored in lockers.
* The College takes no responsibility for the loss of or damage to mobile phones of students.
* Students who use a mobile phone in a manner contrary to the policy will have their phone confiscated for the day. If a student has their phone confiscated three times in a term, then the student will have a meeting with their house leader. If a student has their mobile phone confiscated again after this meeting then their parent/carer will be required to attend a meeting with the Assistant Principal Student Engagement/Deputy Principal or Principal.
I thank the parents and students for their support in ensuring we continue to provide a safe environment for the students to learn in.

Kort Goodman

Principal

From the Deputy  

Last fortnight, we shared the importance of creating and sticking to, a routine in order to study successfully. This is one habit that all successful learners have in common. This week’s article explores other habits of successful learners. 

1. Retrieval. Successful learners practice retrieval; recalling facts, concepts and skills from memory.  This proves much more effective than rereading notes for example.  A simple technique you can encourage from a young age is to ask your learner to write study notes from memory each day.  Using a separate notebook, ask them to write down everything they remember from the four/five classes that day.  What are the key elements that they think need to be recalled for an assessment?  Once they have done this from memory, it is beneficial to go over class notes and fill in any gaps. On the weekend, you could ask your learners to do this for the whole week. Not only are they  gaining an understanding of how well they are focussing in class, but they are also building revision notes for exam time. 

1. Spaced Practice.  Practice is most effective when distributed over time rather than when the sessions are close to each other.  So…cramming doesn’t work.  Spending two hours a week over 5 weeks will result in much better retention than a whole day of studying before an exam.  The mental processes of consolidation increase the neuropathways for durable long-term memory creation. 

1. Regularly test your knowledge.  Some adolescents are notorious for studying in one way only. They do worksheets. It may seem that this is a good way of regularly testing their knowledge, but only if they have studied first.  Otherwise, they complete the worksheet in consultation with their notes and textbook. This is not adequately testing their knowledge, it is testing their ability to read. Learners could be committing content to memory and practicing skills in a spaced manner and then use the worksheets, under exam-like conditions, to test their knowledge and identify gaps. 

1. Successfully draw upon prior knowledge.  We all have experiences we can draw upon and a knowledge of everything around us. We have all learnt many key fundamentals. Being able to link what we are learning now to what we have learnt in the past, helps ground our thought processes and provides a reference point.  By strengthening our learning in points 1 and 2, we can build our bank of knowledge on which to draw. 

1. Practice Elaboration.  Elaboration is the process of giving new material meaning by expressing it in your own words and connecting it with what you already know. The more you can explain about the way your new learning relates to your prior knowledge, the stronger your grasp of the new learning will be, and the more connections you create that will help you remember it later. 

We have all heard the words ‘work smarter, not harder’ and know that it makes sense.  There are definitely ways our SJC learners can work smarter to succeed in their studies. 

Upcoming Events 

 Deputy Principal
Brendon Willocks

bwillocks@sjc.qld.edu.au

The Widow’s Offering   

Mark 12:41-44   

41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’

In the time of Jesus, the Jews were instructed to give to the Temple and to the poor as part of their service to God. We are also called to give of ourselves in service to our community at St Joseph’s. In the story of the Widow’s Offering, the rich people are able to give comfortably. It does not do us good to stay in our comfort zone or to only give a little of what we can offer. Instead we are challenged to be like the widow, who gives all that she has.    

There are incredible opportunities to learn and grow at St Joseph’s, all we have to do is participate and persevere. Like the story, we cannot stay in our comfort zones because there is no reward there. We must be fully involved by giving our all to our academic, cultural, and sporting endeavours. Through full involvement and participation, we can find the full enjoyment and enrichment that school life has to offer us. We must also not give up when it gets hard. Like the widow, we need to continue to give our all even when we feel depleted or the situation is challenging.    

When we look to Edmund Rice we often do not realise that all of his educational activities were illegal in the eyes of the ‘authorities’ in Ireland at the time. However, this challenge did not deter his work. He persevered to offer education to the Irish Catholics who had been cut off from education and, consequently, active participation in society. He gave what he could and moved out of his comfort zone. In doing so, he equipped many young people to develop their own skills and God-given talents and to become self-sufficient. Like Edmund and the widow, the Joey’s Way encourages us to invest in ourselves and others through full participation and perseverance.    

Prayer

O Lord,  
you graciously pour out your blessings on us.  
Your gifts surround us.   

Despite our abundance,  
help us see the widow’s gift,  
for we long to give as she did,  
gladly giving all she had. 

All we have  
is a gift from your hand.  
Help us loosen our hands,  
giving to work of this church on your behalf,  
for in giving freely to you,  
we gain the opportunity  
to live abundant lives!  

(Ministry Matters, 2015)  

St Joseph’s College Compassion Cup 

The student House Captains of 2021 are proud to introduce the newest addition to the coveted trophy collection of St Joseph’s – The Compassion Cup.  

As part of Lent, we are calling upon each Joey’s Way group to give to Caritas.  

Each JW group has the opportunity to gain house points. At the end of the term, each JW group will be allocated points based on how much money has been raised. All points will then be combined in Houses to find the ULTIMATE HOUSE MISSION MONEY WINNER!  

DONATION PAGES 

If you wish to support your child/ren’s Joey’s Way group, you can donate on their donation page below: 

Here are all the original links again from Canvas:

Breakfast Club 

Murphy 3 and Murphy 4 visited Clifford Park Special School to serve breakfast over this last fortnight.  Our Year 11 Leaders have continued to learn the ropes and are starting to find their stride as they master the art of the perfect melted ham and cheese! 

Our students show compassion as they make friends and serve the students of Clifford Park. 

Youth Ministry Team 

WATCH THIS SPACE! 

The Youth Ministry Team continues to grow and is all set to take on new and exciting initiatives in 2021.  Membership has doubled and the energy has risen exponentially. 

Last year, the Youth Ministry Team was able to learn from other Youth Ministry groups from our diocese.  St Saviour’s College Youth Ministry members shared with the team their joyous Friday Fun Day initiative, where they led engaging activities each week during lunchtime. Our team are keen to get this same idea running at Joeys.  

So watch this space and get ready to have fun with Triple M – the Mission Monday Madness!  

Kellie-Marie Ford

Assistant Principal – Religious Education

E kford@sjc.qld.edu.au

Your son or daughter can enrol in four units of competency at the College in…

First Aid and Safety Cluster as partial completion of AHC30916 Certificate III in Landscape Construction

• HLTAID001 Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• HLTAID002 Provide emergency life support
• HLTAID003 Provide first aid
• AHCWHS201 Participate in work health and safety processes

The College has partnered with CSTC Pty Ltd as the Registered Training Organisation, RTO number 0699 for the delivery and assessment of these units. Participants will be required to successfully complete a series of online assessment tasks prior to their Practical Demonstration / Observation scheduled at the College between Monday, 29 March and Thursday, 1 April 2021.

This course intends to provide participants with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively respond to emergency situations by sustaining/restoring breathing and circulation to an adult, child or infant, and providing First Aid.

On successful completion of the First Aid and Safety Cluster, 2 QCE points will contribute to their core category of learning.

CSTC Pty Ltd Enrolment forms are attached for completion.  click here to open.

The course is being offered to Year 10, 11 and 12 students but places are limited. Cost: $70 per student, payable via the Qkr App by Friday, 12 March 2021.   click here for instructions on how to use Qkr

This is a wonderful opportunity for students and on successful completion will earn them 2 credit points for their QCE.

Timeframes

As a general guide, this course is 2 – 4 hours in length for the online theory component and 6 hours for the face to face practical component.

The theory component of this course is required to be completed on a computer, prior to attending the classroom session – see pre-reading requirements below.

The practical course details are:

Date:                        Students will be divided up into 4 different groups over 4 days (from Monday, 29 March to Thursday, 1 April 2021 to complete the practical component.

Start Time:              9:00am Sharp (If you are late, you will not be accepted into class)

Finish Time:           3:00pm

Location:                 St Joseph’s College, 54 James Street, Toowoomba

Clothing:                 Students are asked to wear sports uniform.

Pre-reading:           The theory component of this course is required to be completed on a computer, prior to attending the classroom session. This must be completed by Thursday, 25 March 2021 and if not completed, you will not be permitted to attend the practical classroom session.

St Joseph’s College is encouraging students to complete the online assessment either at home or at school by Thursday, 25 March 2021.

After completion, you must download or screenshot the Online Study Program Certificate as evidence of completion and provide this to the trainer on the day of the practical classroom session.

Costs:                      The fees for your course are $70 and are to be paid by Friday, 12 March 2021 via the Qkr app.

You will be              A Statement of Attainment will be emailed to you within 2 weeks of the

provided:                completion date for the following units of competency:

• HLTAID001 Provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• HLTAID002 Provide emergency life support
• HLTAID003 Provide first aid
• AHCWHS201 Participate in work health and safety processes
  

If you have any questions, please contact the College.

Mrs Kerrie-Anne Fellenberg
Assistant Principal – Curriculum

E kfellenberg@sjc.qld.edu.au

What Does it Mean to Leave it Better Than You Found It? 

Each Imperative in The Joey’s Way is attached to two things: i) a piece of scripture and ii) The Personal and Social Capabilities as identified by the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA). We connect our imperatives to scripture because they are an essential expression of our Catholic Identity in the Edmund Rice tradition. We also connect our imperatives to the Australian Curriculum because we know that if we live out our imperatives to the best of our ability, we’ll be great learners.  

The first creation story (Genesis 1:1-2:4) calls us to leave it better than we found it:  

1 In the beginning when God created[a] the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God[b] swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. 6 And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. 8 God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. 9 And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. 14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.20 And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” 21 So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. 24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind[c] in ou r image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth,[d] and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” 27 So God created humankind[e] in his image, in the image of God he created them;[f] male and female he created them.28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 29 God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. 2 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. 2 And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. 4 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. 

For some people, the first creation story is a scientific account of the creation of the earth. Without being dismissive of this type of belief, the story serves quite a different function in the Catholic tradition. It reminds us, firstly, that God is all powerful, He is able to create the world simply by breathing and is entirely unimpeded in this action. More importantly, God’s motivation for creating the world is nothing other than love, both for humankind and the natural world.  

Through this story, we are also called to love creation in the same way the creator does. Environmental responsibility is not a new idea, nor one that is specific to the Catholic church or Catholic schools. We are regularly reminded of the need to care for our environment because our children, grandchildren and their children require it. While this is very true, we believe that, as a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition, we are called to care for our common home now, because, just like each of us, it is created by God.   Leaving things better than we found them is also a pillar of leadership at St Joseph’s College. No member of this college is likely to be an active member of it in 100 years’ time. The college, however, will probably remain. It is therefore incumbent upon all of us to ensure that our impact here is a positive one.   

Leaving it Better than you Found it Looks Like: 

• Leaving an area tidy after we have spent time there 
• Picking up rubbish that we did not drop 
• Having a positive impact on areas outside the college grounds 
• Practising environmental integrity
• Thinking about ways to minimise our environmental impact.  

Leaving it Better than you Found it Sounds Like: 

• Advocating for environmental responsibility in community discussions. 
• Thinking creatively about initiatives to care for the environment 
• Thinking sustainably 
• Welcoming community feedback 
• Being aware of, and having discussions about, local and international environmental issues. 

Leaving it Better than you Found it Feels Like: 

• Taking pride in our built environment. 
• Thinking creatively about initiatives to care for the environment 
• Being a community leader in striving for ecological sustainability 
• Acknowledging that all of us are of the earth, and will return to earth. 
• Inviting guidance from traditional custodians of the land, the Giabal and Jarowair people 

No single member of this community will be here forever, so it is incumbent on all of us to ensure that, whether our impact is small or large, that it is a positive one.    

Joe Cryle

Assistant Principal – Student Engagement

E jcryle@sjc.qld.edu.au

Student Voice 

Hello everyone, our names are Emma Schuh and Miriama Tini and we are very excited to introduce ourselves as the Brennan House Captains for 2021. This year, as your leaders, we will strive to involve everyone’s talents, acknowledge all achievements, and live out our house motto of “Care for Everyone”.
Later this year, Brennan House will be holding their annual fundraiser where we raise money in support of the Star Light Foundation. The content of the day is still in planning but be sure to keep an eye out for any information on what the day will involve and how you can all help.

I love SJC Music Camp! I get to spend the weekend with 90 marvellous students who not only love music and are prepared to work hard across 17 hours of rehearsals, but are kind, considerate, helpful and funny.

These outstanding students know what it takes to make music camp a success.

1. Rehearse well – read their music, listen to the conductors and work together to create balance, intonation and meaning in the musical pieces.
2. Look after each other – be friendly and welcoming to the newest Joeys’ musicians (Yr 7 & 8 students), and be kind to each other, especially when they get tired.
3. Be considerate and respectful – to the conductors who direct the ensembles and nurture musical excellence and the SJC staff who generously support the music camp by driving, serving, supervising and caring.
4. Be safe – make safe choices at the beach and in free time.

The St Joseph’s College music camp has been an important part of the ensemble development for more than 20 years. It has not always been at Alexandra Headlands Conference Park, but this venue became ideal as the group became bigger. It has many rehearsal spaces; it is tucked away in a small national park area; it serves great food and it is close to the beach.

The Alex Headlands Lifesavers support our camp every year and place a team of lifesavers on and in the water when we arrive for our afternoon swim.

The music camp has always been generously supported by Joey’s staff who give away their weekend to guarantee a successful and safe outcome for the music students. Enormous thanks to Ms Leigh Price who assisted the younger trumpet players, Mr Luke McKenzie for supervising and serving and Mr Mitchell for his conducting and musical leadership. Thank you to Miss Debbie Newton who has been a long-time supporter of music camps for 20 years.

Music Camp is important for the growth of our music ensembles but it also important for friendship and teamwork. It is supported by the College because it is recognised how generous the music students are in supporting College and community events. Thank you to the College in its continued support.

Finally, thank you music students. Ms Scott and I love spending time with you, and we feel very lucky to be able to work with you and guide your musical growth at St Joseph’s College.

Madeleine Minns

Music Teacher

mminns@sjc.qld.edu.au

Maths Tutoring

Afterschool Maths Tutoring sessions are a long-standing tradition at St Joseph’s College. Due to the changed structure of Wednesday’s for students, Maths tutoring will now take place on a Tuesday afternoon from 3 – 4pm in the library. All students are welcome to attend and are encouraged to bring homework, assignments and study to complete. There is always a collection of different Maths teachers present and students can obtain assistance with any problems they may be encountering. Alternatively, they can use the time to complete study with the availability of a teacher if needed. Tutoring is most beneficial for students who attend regularly.

Year 9 ‘Biscuit’ Assignment

All of our Year 9 students are currently working on their first Mathematics assignment for 2021. This is an explorative task that requires students to investigate the amount of ‘air’ in a packet of biscuits by calculating the volume of a biscuit of their choice. Our students are required to make assumptions about the shapes of the biscuits in order to calculate the volume, with many demonstrating a great attention to detail and focus on complexity. This task is teaching our students to ‘mathematise’ real world situations, that is, using maths to solve real world problems, acknowledging the strengths and limitations of doing so.

Year 7 Mathematics Structure

Recently, all year 7 parents received a broadcast with a link to a video explaining the structure of Mathematics for our Year 7 students at St Joseph’s College. I encourage all parents to watch the video and to contact their child’s teacher should they have any questions. The video can be accessed via the following link:  Click here

Angela Harris

Curriculum Leader – Mathematics

aharris@sjc.qld.edu.au

“Care for everybody”

The Brennan House motto above, as one Brennan staff member put it, is a call to action. A call that all members of Brennan House hear and respond to as evidenced by all that has been achieved through Brennan House over this first term.
Responding to this call are our Brennan leaders for 2021…
Emma Schuh and Miriama Tini
who are ably supported by our year 11 Vice Captains Jayden Pile, Zac Vellacott, Kaylee Keen, Kaleb Reynolds, Ethan Sullivan-Bathurst, Waed Roumieh, Alex Wiggans, Preston McIllrick.
This year Brennan have been engaging in Joeys Way classes every morning that are led by the following Joeys Way teachers
B1 – Ms Gabrielle O’Reilly
B2 – Mrs Nicole Davies
B3 – Mr Shane Ramage
B4 – Mrs Jess Matchett
B5 – Mr Luke McKenzie
B6 – Mrs Nadia Spain
B7 – Mr Mark Holdsworth and Mr Dean Garside
B8 – Ms Leigh Price
B9 – Mr Brain Cantwell
B10 – Mr Ben Gehrmann
I thank these teachers for all that they do in supporting the young people in their care to develop and grow through our Joeys Way program. I also strongly encourage parents and guardians to make contact with these teachers if you haven’t already to continue to develop strong partnerships between home and school.
Already this year Brennan students have represented the House in our school swimming carnival and I have to say I was very pleased with the number of students pushing themselves outside their comfort zones to achieve their own personal bests for themselves and their house points. We managed to achieve third place in the carnival and continue to strive to get 100% attendance and everyone in the pool.
Year 7 were welcomed into the House officially through the Year 7 liturgy in week 4 after the success of the Year 7 camp. Having spent a couple of days with our newest Brennan recruits I have to say the future of Brennan looks very strong.
I look forward to working with everyone this year to continue growing this fantastic House.

Care for Everybody,

Mr Luke Logan

Brennan House Leaders

llogan@sjc.qld.edu.au

This week we introduce Dean Garside, Adam Watts and Dilki Balalla –

Dean Garside has JWB7 group and teaches Design & Technology-Wood, Wood Technology and Cert II in Engineering Pathways

Adam Watts has joined the English and Humanities Departments

Dilki Balalla has JWR3 Group and teaches Science and Mathematics

Welcome!

The 2021 Inauguration Ball was held on Saturday night, February 20, at Rumours International.  The most rewarding part of the evening was seeing the young men and women step out and represent the College community in a positive way – they really set the standard for the rest of the year.

The graduating class is a standout group for a number of reasons, but first and foremost for the way they carry out their daily tasks and schooling life the “Joey’s Way”.  Joey’s Way is around aspiring for excellence, compassion and dignity and they’re really setting an example for the younger school and it is something to be remembered by.

After what was a fun night for staff and students, they will now turn their focus to more serious events during the school year.  They will be switching to focus on their studies with the goals at the end of the year and doing the best they can.

Bremer River Year 12 Fieldtrip

On Friday the 5^th Of February, the Year 12 Geography class met up with students from St Ursula’s College to conduct an investigation of the Bremer river at two sites – Timothy Molony Park (Central Ipswich) and Joseph Brady Park (confluence of Bremer River-Brisbane River). The field trips’ chief aim was to gather data to ascertain the health of the river and look at issues impacting the health as well as catchment management for their major Field Report. The students participated in a comprehensive waterway health assessment looking at PH, nitrates and phosphate, dissolved oxygen levels, turbidity, macroinvertebrates and human impacts at the two sites.

As a result of this field trip our students gained a detailed understanding and awareness of the importance of waterway ecosystems, via direct interaction with the natural environment.

Whilst in the field students:

• Investigated the diversity of waterway organisms
• Increased their awareness of impacts of human activities on waterways – both a global and local perspective
• Learnt about and observed firsthand habitat destruction, overharvesting, introduction of invasive species, fragmentation, and pollution
• discussed sustainable behaviours that minimise these issues
• gained a detailed understanding of the complex processes involved in managing our waterways in a sustainable manner

All in all we gathered some wonderful data for our assignment and met some new friends.

If you are in Year 10 and are considering Geography in Year 11-12 please see Mr Fellenberg for some more details.

Friday Basketball

Week 3 – Wilsonton came over to give us another home game.

The Year 7/8 girls put on another strong display of their basketball skills. They dominated Wilsonton in every aspect of the game, overpowering them 65 points to 7.

Wilsonton tried very hard, but our girls worked well together and came out on top, especially Libby Cooke who top scored with 17 points. Sam Hunter had her radar working this week scoring 14 points. Rhianna Whittaker worked hard to score her 10 points. Adding to the massive score was Tyla Salmi with 8 points, Sienna Lockwood with 6 points, and Ava Kelly, Evie King, Holly Robinson and Emmi Ranford all scored two points each.

Year 7/8 boys

With a host of young men turning up to play Mr Logan has plenty of willing and able players to put on the court. A great place to be in. This week the boys had plenty of scoring opportunities even though at the end of the first quarter we only led by 2 points. At this point Wilsonton had a hard time containing our boys and we dominated the boards and won 33 points to 13.

Darby Reid top scored this week with 9 points only one ahead of Liam Hogan on 8 points. Then it was fairly evenly shared with Kizito Oryem, Max Murphy and Mason Deakin all scoring 4 points and Ryan Richardson and Jonah Bennett scoring 2 points each. The other boys may not be on the scoreboard, but they are doing plenty on the court to allow these points to be scored. A great team effort by this young team.

Year 9/10 Girls

This team will also make the finals as they have gone through undefeated through the round games. Talking of big scores in basketball, this week the girls put on a wonderful display scoring 88 points to 9. You kind of feel bad for Wilsonton but the girls played the game in the spirit it was meant to be and had a great win.

Abuk Aleer had a brilliant night coming away with 36 points. Bec Scott is coming into her own and scored 19 points. Tiarnee Smith worked had off the boards this week and put away 13 points for herself. Nancy Daniel scored 8 points and Anna Deng put on 2 points to round out the scoring for the night.

Year 9/10 Boys

The boys fought a hard battle but just faulted in the end. We lost 30 to 37 against a much taller and slightly more well-controlled team. The boys kept playing right until the final whistle but could not contain the free-flowing drives from the Wilsonton boys. We were not in foul trouble so we probably could have put our bodies on the line a little bit more to try and stop their work through the keyway.

Theo Hess top scored with 13 points, Mason McNamara 8 points and Charlie Meyer 7 points. Arthur Chadambuka and Xavier Bennett both managed to shoot a 1 pointer from free throws.

Open Girls

The game this week had to be postponed due to the long nails and tanning that most of the team had completed for the formal. We then travelled over to Wilsonton on the Monday afternoon to play the game.  The girls had a hard-fought contest against the Wilsonton girls and only winning by 3 points – 29 to 26. Most girls still had their nails on so found it hard to catch and shoot the ball, but they had fun anyway.

Claire Pretorius and Jodi Lubigan shared the scoring of 8 points each, Emily Gebbett scored 7 points and Mariah Zillmann finished with 6 points.

Open Boys

The open boys didn’t take long to show their dominance over the Wilsonton boys. The first quarter score was 26 to 2. Wilsonton continued to fight through the game but with everyone sharing the scoring, our team was just too strong.

Hayden Maripa was strong throughout the night at both ends of the court. He scored 14 points. Owen Debney and Ashton Waters both contributed 11 points each with 10 points coming from Dominic Deng. Patrick Aleer scored 9, Pepo Leju 8 points, Phillip Donaldson 7 points, David Deng 5 points and Beau Wilson put in 2 points.

The boys are heading towards the semi-finals and only have to beat Concordia to be top of the table in our part of the draw.

Week 4 Concordia at home.

This week marks the end of our round games as we have a bye in round 5.

Year 7/8 Girls

Another game, another big score for our young ladies. With a couple of girls away on music camp and two new girls that started playing last week, the girls controlled the game very well. Sienna Lockwood got taken off early after injuring her hand but that didn’t stop the girls from striving for their best and still having Concordia retain their dignity.

Libby Cooke had another brilliant game scoring 22 points. Tyla Salmi ably assisted her with 16 points. Our new recruit Holly Robinson scored 12 valuable points. Rhianna Whittaker had a good game and scored 8 points. Before Sienna was hurt, she scored 4 points and Ava Kelly finished with 2.

These young ladies should make the semi-final in two weeks as they have not lost a game during the round games.

Year 7/8 Boys

The boys had another strong win under the guidance of Mr Logan defeating the Concordia side 56 to 10. Darby Reid’s speed around the court assisted him to make many steals and score 13 points for the night. Our height from Kizorto and Adam helps with valuable rebounds and keep us in good supply of the ball. Kizorto Oryem and Liam Smyth scored 8 points each and Max Murphy, Dean Sowry and Ryan Richardson all scored 6 points each. Liam Hogan found the basket for 5 points and Mason Deakin put 4 on the boards.

This team should make the semi-finals as well

Year 9/10 Girls

This team has a habit of making big scores and again this week was no exception. They beat Concordia 86 to 22. I was very proud to watch the girls in this team show great sportsmanship To Concordia and deliberately fumble the ball with the intention of giving Concordia a go. It was a great display of the Joey’s Way through be humble but proud and used empathy with respect to a lack of players on their part.

Abuk Aleer dominated at both ends of the court and was strong in her shooting scoring 36 points for the night. Bec Scott was also on fire scoring 18 very valuable points. Indie Ranford has a strong game in defence working hard from the halfway line. She scored 12 points. Anna Deng and Nancy Daniel both scored 8 points each and Tiarnee Smith rounded out the scoring with 4 points.

This team will make the semi-finals.

Year 9/10 Boys

The boys finally put it altogether and had a big win. They defeated Concordia 70 to 22. Theo Hess had a scoring bliss and top scored with 31 points. Mason McNamara was good at both ends of the court and scored himself 18 points. Charlie Meyer has good speed around the court and out 12 points on the scoresheet.  Shane Hurlock scored 6 points and Arthur Chambuka scored 3 points.

The boys will have to wait on the results from next weeks games to see if they make the semi-finals.

Open Girls

And another one got away from us. We led at first quarter break 10 to 6. We outscored the 10 to 8 I the second quarter and the wheels fell off. They outscored us 14 to 2 in the make or break quarter and even though we won the last quart 6 5to 5 we just couldn’t bring the game back. The final score was 38 to 33. We play well, our defence was strong, had one player fouled off and three players in foul trouble.

Claire Pretorius top scored with 10 points, and Jodi Lubigan finished with 9. Mariah Zillmann did well to last the whole game after having received 3 fouls in the first quarter. She scored 6 points. Kalie Brighton had a strong game at both ends and scored 3 points.

Swimming Carnival

I can finally release the results of the swimming carnival and name the winning house.

The age champions were named as followed:

House points were

McAuley              3595

Brennan               4462

Murphy                4754

Rice                        5581

A big thank you to all that were involved on the day. To Mr White and Ms Koch for helping and running the scoring all day. To the teachers who supervised both here at the College and at the carnival, as some teachers missed out on attending the carnival.

Darling Downs Representatives

Congratulations to the following students who have been successful in their selection into their respective teams for Darling Downs.

Romey Wiemers – Waterpolo

Harry Clancy – Softball

Cameron Taylor -Golf

Daniel Robinson and Regan Liebke – Open boys Cricket Daniel was also selected in the Queensland Under 17 Indoor Cricket team to compete in the state titles in July – well done.

Sienna Deurloo – Swimming New record set in the 200m freestyle event Old record 2:15.4 New record 2:10.46

Emily Lewis – Swimming

Regan Gardner – Swimming

Romey Wiemers – Swimming

Chase Deurloo – Swimming

And a few snap shots of this weeks football game.

How to build hope and encourage resilience in your child

Helping your child to deal with life’s ups and downs is an incredibly important life skill. As a parent or caregiver, part of your role is to teach your child how to be resilient and cope with life’s challenges. Resilience is a skill that everyone can learn. It develops over time and exists on a spectrum that is always changing throughout life and with different experiences. When children have supportive relationships, they endure more easily, difficult life experiences. These supportive relationships help to enhance feelings of connection, which enhance coping and social skill development. In addition to simply providing a supportive relationship, teach your child how to self-regulate and deal with difficult emotions. Promote positive thinking, modelling to your child how to have an optimistic attitude in life. These qualities will help your child to thrive in life rather than simply to survive.

Some useful links to articles on resilience:

Psycom – Resilience in children: Strategies to strengthen your kids

Hey Sigmund – Building resilience in children – 20 practical, powerful strategies (backed by science)

Literacy at St Joseph’s College

Kofie Annan, the former United Nations Secretary General, once stated:

“Literacy is the means through which every man, woman and child can realise his or her full potential.”

If we pause to reflect on the central role that literacy plays in our day-to-day lives, we can appreciate the truth within Mr Annan’s words and also, how difficult it must be for the estimated one billion people in our world- approximately one in every seven- who are functionally illiterate (John Trischitti, TedEx Talks: “Literacy Is the Answer,” 2017).

As a College, we recognise the immense value of a strong literacy grounding as a part of a well-rounded, high-quality education and we are committed to providing this. In doing so, we know that we are enabling all students to pursue their passions and to achieve success in their chosen pathways. In 2021 and into the future, we are investing in the literacy development of our students, beginning with our Middle School through our Literacy Improvement English (LIE) and Literacy Improvement Humanities (LIH) lessons.

These lessons provide explicit and differentiated teaching in a high-support environment to extend all students’ literacy skills. They each occur once per cycle and have been strategically timetabled to allow three cohort classes to run simultaneously, taking advantage of our newly renovated Library. What is quite unique and exciting about our approach is that we have recognised the impact of small-group, targeted instruction on student growth and consequently, have assigned a classroom teacher and two to three teacher’s aides to each class. Already we are seeing the benefits of this approach for our students, as it has allowed them to enjoy learning experiences that are matched to their needs.

Figure 1: Mr Willocks’ and Mrs. Lawrence’s groups enjoyed taking advantage of our new whiteboard tables in the Library to delve into the main ideas of their focus text.

As one of the staff leading the literacy program, it has been very rewarding to be involved in these lessons. Upon entering the Library during one such lesson, you are instantly struck by the energy in the room and by our students and staff learning in community. Hearing the rich conversations that are occurring about the text being studied solidifies the advantages of learning in community, as each member of the group is able to contribute and reciprocally add to the shared understanding.

Figure 2: Mrs. Whiting and members of her Literacy Improvement Humanities class:

Arielle Suhr, Gabrielle Anderson and Jem Brown.

Though the LIE and LIH project is still in its infancy, reflective conferencing with both staff and students has clearly demonstrated that it is of benefit to our learners. Below is a sample of the comments that some of our Year 8 students have shared with me about their learning so far:

“I have learnt a lot of processes (for reading) that I haven’t really thought of before and I have a lot of different techniques that I can apply now…we have really interesting conversations when we answer the questions about what we have read and now, when I read my own book, there are questions in my head that really develop my understanding. I think that this is a really core thing that you have brought in and for people who do struggle with literacy, it will be really, really good going forward in their whole lives.”

“We have been learning about reading texts properly, listening and appreciating what others have to say.”

“We’ve learnt skills with literacy and comprehension, and how we can apply them. I learnt what feudalism means today and about economics because we learn the meaning of key words, but also expand upon them. I like the texts that we are reading about, I think that they are interesting.”

“I think it is a very interesting thing to study and we use it every day in class and other areas, so it (the lessons) is very constructive.”

“We’ve learnt about how to take apart the text and find what you are looking for through using strategies like the QAR, so that you can really analyse the question and analyse the text…I realise now that when I read a text I tend to just read, so I really like this program you are running because it makes me stop and think about what I am doing: Why am I reading this? What do I want to get out of it? What is my purpose? It really sparks more questions when reading a text, so I get more out of reading than I did before.”

“I really like how the lessons are organised; how we get to split off into smaller groups and how it is a sort of free classroom: you get to ask questions, you get to talk about it, you really get to expand and debate about it, and you get to take that knowledge further. I really like this program, thank you!”

For parents and guardians who are interested in supporting the development of their student’s literacy skills, we would recommend that you engage them in discussions about the texts that they encounter at home- whether they be of audio, visual, audio-visual, or written format. Additionally, the benefits of reading for pleasure cannot be overlooked and we would suggest that you encourage and provide opportunities for this to occur at home on a regular basis. Should you require assistance with this, please feel free to contact the Library staff who are always willing to help match students to a text that will interest them. We have a great range of novels, graphic novels, Manga, magazines, non-fiction books and digital texts (including articles, ebook and audiobooks) in our collection for our community to choose from.

What’s on in the Library?

We would like to take this opportunity to share with our community the activities that we are providing to students in the Library in Term 1, 2021. These activities will take place during lunch, from 1:20-2:00pm:

In addition to these structured activities, we have some free choice options that are always available including:

• a community puzzle which students can contribute to at any time;
• a range of board and card games (including Chess, Uno, Phase 10, Rubiks Race, Monopoly Speed) that students can play;
• colouring-in sheets and craft materials;
• shelves full of fabulous books to read;
• and our e-book and audio book platform SORA.

We would love to see as many students as possible take part in these free, fun activities in the lunch break.

Kirstie Andrews
Teacher Librarian

kandrews@sjc.qld.edu.au

As the term draws to a close, students are busily working on their assignments and preparing for their exams, this is a timely reminder that it is important to take care of yourself.

Take care of yourself

Your brain and body are closely connected – looking after your body has great benefits for your mind. Activities like sport, dance, walking or yoga can increase your performance by increasing oxygen to your brain. It’s also great at reducing tension from stress and school pressure.

Some stress can be useful in keeping us motivated – without it we would find it hard to stay awake! However, during Year 12, and especially during exam time, you may find your stress levels rising high into the ‘critical zone’, causing a dramatic decline in performance. Proven strategies for beating stress include:
• Relaxation: smartphone apps like Smiling Mind can help
• Time management: try making a list of activities and prioritise
• Connecting with others: talk about your worries, laugh, be positive!
• Remember to be kind to yourself: take some time out to do the things you enjoy or help you maintain your wellbeing.

Click here for more ideas on how to look after yourself.

Finding your way in a changing world of work

Australian jobs are changing as new technologies are introduced, businesses find new ways of working and as we respond to challenges like COVID-19. This will lead to new jobs being created and new skills may be needed for existing jobs. How can you find your way in a changing world of work? When you’re thinking about work and study options, it can be helpful to understand:
• the jobs available now and in the future
• the skills needed for jobs that interest you
• your interests and how you like to work.

In fact, more than one million Australians change jobs every year and more than half move to a different industry or career. Click here to read more about jobs now and in the future, finding jobs that use your skills and finding work you enjoy.

Why work experience?

Last week, Year 10 received their Work Experience packages and gathered to listen to Mrs Stafford share her wisdom in securing a Work Experience placement. The best way to explore a job you are interested in is to try it. This sounds obvious, doesn’t it? However, it is often the last thing people think of when exploring jobs and making career decisions. The following are ways you can try a job:

• Work observation/shadowing – spend one or two days with someone already in the job
• Work experience – spend up to a week working in the job
• Volunteering – volunteer your services to an organisation that has jobs you are interested in
• Part-time paid work – explore the possibility of part-time or casual work in your preferred career area
• Join an activity group where you can try out some of the skills you will need in the job you like e.g. join the Air Force Cadets or the St John Ambulance Cadets
• Participating in various programs associated with specific career areas e.g. Engineering Link projects

The benefits of trying a job are:

• Learning about what the job involves
• Having a structured, supervised, hands-on experience
• Experiencing a work environment – the world of work isn’t like school!
• Gaining a new referee to add to your resume
• Developing contacts that may help you gain employment in the future.

Read ‘Tips for finding work experience’ on the myfuture website for other ways of finding work experience. Please see a member of the Careers Development Team to guide you in this process.

This year has started with the Uni Showcase that was held on Wednesday, 10 February 2021.  This was a successful learning experience for students to engage with Queensland universities and QTAC to discover and explore career pathways beyond school.

Our students would like to share their experiences with you……

Congratulations to the following students on obtaining their School Based Apprenticeships/Traineeships.

Chelsea Gillis School Based Apprentice at Campbell Fabricating and Engineering, Certificate III in Engineering (Fabrication trade)

Molly Lockwood School Based Trainee at Petstock Toowoomba, Certificate II in Animal Studies.

Katie Beasley School Based Apprentice at Profile Hair Design, Certificate III in Hairdressing.

Elijah Willey School Based Apprentice at VDK Group Air Conditioning and Electrical, Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician.

Phillip Donaldson School Based Apprentice with C & C Precision Tiling, Certificate III in Wall and Floor Tiling school-based apprenticeship.

Bella Lewis School Based Apprentice with Darling Downs Painting Service, Certificate III in Painting and Decorating.

The following positions are open to all Year 10, 11 and 12 students and will remain open until they are filled. Should any students wish to apply for any of these positions, please apply in person as per the vacancy flyer and also ensure that you have an SBA referral form on file.

Duo Bakery and Cafe
Click here to view

Berny’s on West
Click here to view

Jilly’s Cafe
Click here to view

What are the Queensland Training Awards?

The Queensland Training Awards, in 2021 will celebrate 60 years of recognising and rewarding individuals and organisations for excellence in vocational education and training, including apprenticeships and traineeships.

Why nominate?

The awards are a unique opportunity to gain well deserved recognition for your efforts and share those success stories with your peers.

Click here for more information

Myfuture website – new VET feature page

Australia’s National Career Information Service – myfuture.edu.au – has published a feature page in its Career articles section about Vocational Education and Training (VET) to help young people learn more about the VET training sector, including the qualifications, programs and courses available. 

The new myfuture feature page is titled Vocational Education and Training (VET) and contains links to: career stories of people who have completed a VET qualification; information about how to pay for VET courses; free or low-fee training courses for school leavers; videos about VET, a searchable database of VET courses; information about apprenticeships and areas of demand for workers now and in the future. Visit the new feature page here. 

NEXT MEETING

May 4 – 7pm – Library

*please note – the April meeting will not be held due to School Holidays*

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

We are seeking volunteers to help out in Tuckshop throughout the year.  Volunteers are required between the hours of 8am and 3pm each school day, however we understand people may not be able to give up an entire day –  if you only have an hour or 2 to lend, it would be a great help as well. We appreciate any time that is given to help out and would love the opportunity to get to know some of the parents in our school community, especially the new families this year.  You do not need experience to volunteer in Tuckshop, we are happy to guide you along the way – it’s a fun day of helping out and your kids will love seeing you at school for the day.  Volunteers are required to wear closed in shoes, neat hair and a great smile 😊.  If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the College  with your availability as soon as possible so we can put together a roster for term 1.  We look forward to seeing you soon!

Deb Ditchmen and Michelle Tully

Canteen Convenors

E dditchmen@sjc.qld.edu.au
E mtully@sjc.qld.edu.au

The Girl Cross-over tie is now in stock – all orders have been filled and ready for collection.  $20.00  – EFTPOS only

The uniform shop is currently out of stock of the following and waiting on orders to arrive:-

Size M boys formal hats                                ETA 10/03

Size 12, 14 and 16 boys S/S Jnr Shirts       ETA 10/3

Size 10 girl formal shorts                               ETA TBA

Online ordering available at :-

www.midford.com.au

pass phrase StJC1956

New stock into the shop:-

• House and school coloured scrunchies and hair accessories
• Bike shorts
• Girl formal shorts
• Girl formal pants

https://MidfordBooking.as.me/StJosephsCollegeToowoomba

Reminder – EFTPOS – only

Due to health concerns the Uniform Shop will only be accepting EFTPOS payments until further notice.  Online ordering and payment over the phone are also available.  ph:  4531 8514

Online ordering.

www.midford.com.au

Pass phase          StJC1956

TRADING HOURS

TUES & THURS        –        8AM TO 12PM

WED                            –         8AM TO 4PM

Maximum 4 people in the store at once.

Midford Retail COID – 19 03 2020

Click here to view Refund Policy

Click here to view College Uniform Price List 2020/2021

Second hand uniforms are also available at the Uniform Shop.

If you have used uniform items that would like to donate, please drop off to the Uniform Shop during opening hours.  Donations are greatly appreciated.

If you have used uniform items that you would like us to sell for you, please call into the uniform shop and collect a “Used Clothing” form. Used uniforms items MUST be in good condition, hems intact, no holes, stains or missing buttons. They also need to washed, ironed and be the current uniform.

If you have any questions, please call us on 4631 8514 during opening hours.

If you have mislaid some of your belongings, please visit Student Entrance to check if we have it.  Remember to name ALL of your belongings as any items left unclaimed will either be given to the Uniform Shop or St Vincent’s De Paul at the end of each term.

Are your details correct in our system?

Is your information up-to-date?
Will your report card go to the right address?
Don’t miss important messages sent through the email system or App notification.

Please email any changes to office@sjc.qld.edu.au