Newsletter 62 – Term 1 Week 8 2021

We are now well into the Church’s season of Lent where we are continually reminded that this is a time for almsgiving, prayer and fasting. Almsgiving, it needs to be noted, is not just the giving of money and goods but also, the giving of oneself and one’s time. As I walk through the College classrooms, playground and library and see our students studying, talking, laughing, working on group projects, eating together in the playground – I have to smile and thank God for each child He has placed in our school. In this the year proclaimed by Pope Francis as the Year of St. Joseph, honouring the 150th anniversary of the declaration that St. Joseph is the Patron of the Universal Church it is so exciting to see how God is using these lives to show us His mercy in action through almsgiving. Since the start of the year, our Year 12 students have shared their time, gifts and talents with our incoming Year 7 students to ensure that their transition into high school is both smooth and anxiety-free. Each morning in our Joey’s Way time our students have been working together to come together as a group and a house to provide a warm and caring environment for the students to be in each day. We are indeed blessed with the generosity of our students in giving of themselves to others. May God bless them and keep this Spirit within them, well beyond their time here at St Joseph’s College.

Lord,

Let everything we do in this season of Lent

come from you

be inspired by you.

Let us be aware of

the many ways you reach out to help us

and let us stand in awe of the power

that you use in such loving ways.

Help us to use your love as a way

to persevere in our Lenten intentions.

St Joseph – Pray for us.

Edmund Rice – Pray for us.

Live Jesus in our Hearts – Forever.

Striving for our personal best!

Each week we continue to be provided with numerous examples of students and staff who are striving to do their personal best in all areas of College life. Along with the service activities that the students participate in at school, each weekend we have students and staff attending and participating in Mass celebrations by taking on roles as altar servers, doing readings, singing in the choir and assisting with the IT. Striving to develop their faith and their relationships with God.

Students are excelling in cultural activities like the preparation for the musical, ‘Jazz under the Stars’ and the activities our students have been involved in during drama, art, music classes and instrumental and vocal lessons. In the sporting area we have more and more students participating in interschool sporting competitions and gaining representation in Darling Downs teams.

This only leaves the academic life of the College and from my observations of staff working long hours and giving up their lunch breaks and assisting with afternoon tutoring to assist students, it is clearly evident that they are giving their personal best. In regard to the students we have quickly come to the pointy end of the term in regard to exam and assessment submission time. With this in mind it is appropriate as both a College and a parent to keep reminding the students to strive to do their personal best so as to develop an academic culture of excellence at the College. If you have any concerns regarding the teaching and learning been carried out in classrooms or the current assessment items that students are completing, please contact the appropriate teacher/s at the College.

Best wishes for the week.

Kort Goodman

Principal

‘Education will liberate your child.” This is a key belief of Edmund Rice Education. St Joseph’s College is an Edmund Rice Associate school having been founded by the Christian Brothers, whose founder was Edmund Rice in 1956. Edmund Rice educated the poor young boys of Waterford, Ireland, providing them with basic school uniforms and nutrition, educating them to develop their talents, be better people and to make a positive difference to their local communities. 

We in turn, believe that each individual young man and woman at St Joseph’s College is unique, talented, capable and gifted in their own way and able to achieve success and make a most positive contribution to our world. This is our fundamental belief and the premise we come from when educating your child. We make no apology for encouraging, challenging, extending and extracting the best possible effort and excellence from your child in every activity they undertakes at school, whether it be their academic journey, spiritual development, cultural undertaking, social interactions and/or, sport. We know they are capable; we believe they can achieve and learn; we want then to achieve extraordinary feats. 

As a result, we will encourage all students to follow our College Values and Joey’s Way imperatives and ask all parents to join with staff in partnership to believe in and enable our common values.  

 “…Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. You’re playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Nelson Mandela 

God of this journey, bless all the young men and women of St Joseph’s College. May they believe, strive and embrace our College motto to – ‘Serve Him in Others’. 

Amen 

 

Upcoming Events

Deputy Principal

Brendon Willocks

bwillocks@sjc.qld.edu.au

 

This year marks 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To celebrate the anniversary, Pope Francis has proclaimed a “Year of Saint Joseph” from in 2021.

Pope Francis describes Saint Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows.

The theme for this year, as chosen by the liturgy group, is Cast Your Nets. The phrase ‘cast your nets’ is used to describe reaching out and seeing what comes of an opportunity.  To take opportunities requires you to have faith and await the outcome.

We also cast our nets by setting ourselves goals and aspirations.  We cast our nets by listening to the call, arising to the challenge and accepting with faith like Joseph did.

Pope Francis describes St Joseph as being a “creatively courageous father”.   Joseph was courageous in taking on the responsibility of becoming the husband of Mary and the legal father of Jesus and all that those two roles entailed. As we follow Joseph in the Gospel, we see how he could turn a difficulty into a possibility with his trust in God.

There is so much to be learned from St Joseph – so much we need right now in this present age!

Listening — God speaks often and has much guidance for us all. We need to find silence and stillness everyday so we can hear from the sacred that resides in our soul. Like Joseph, we must take the time to listen to the messages contained in the everyday.

Obedience/Action — The need to understand and know is often an obstacle to faith. St Joseph shows us that doing what is right leads to righteousness. We see his ability to accept the message of God and do what is asked of him. From him we can learn to reject the pervading passivity of our culture and step up to responsibility.

Selflessness — Live for the other (wife/mother/child). Use your life to help and support others.  Joseph shows us a heroic kind of love. To find life in living for others is something that will change the world.

Courage — Manage yourself; find ways to be calm in the chaos and stress of life. Avoid the strong pressure to reactivity, anger, uncharitable responses and immaturity. We can have faith even when we are afraid, unsure and feel weak.

Humility — Be prepared to live through the small hidden years, the time when mostly what you do is serve, love, provide and protect. Joseph played a significant role in Jesus’ formational years; however, this wasn’t a time of notoriety or acclaim. These were the years of preparation. We learn from Joseph the humility of knowing he quietly supported the great work of his Son without any expectation or desire for the platform himself.

(adapted from Robert Falzon 2021)

 

THE YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH PRAYER

To you, O blessed Joseph (Ad te, beate Ioseph)

To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our afflictions, and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also.

Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.

O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness.

As once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven.

Amen.

 

Mission and Identity Team

This year we have a new look Mission and Identity Team with newly defined roles that bring a new energy and renewal to the way we provide support for our students’ personal and spiritual development.

APRE – Miss Kellie-Marie Ford

As Assistant Principal Religious Education, my role is oversee the delivery of the Religion Curriculum at the College. This includes helping teachers developing their planning and assessment tasks and supporting students through the provisions of relevant resources.

Staff formation and the organisation of whole school events is a significant part of my role in ensure we are connected by our Catholic story and all students feel a sense of belonging in the celebration of our faith.

Middle Leader – Mission and Identity – Ms Cathie Barton

Excitingly, Cathie Barton has stepped in the newly create role of the Middle Leader Mission and Identity this year.  This role primarily focuses on student formation.  Ms Barton is working incredibly hard to establish a range of service groups and student formation opportunities in the College, including Just Joeys, Youth Ministry and Liturgy Group. She will also help other student groups throughout the College connect to our Catholic Identity through service and reflection.  Another significant part of her role is to lead the empowerment of student voice.

Chaplain – Mr Jason Krienke

Mr Jason Krienke continues on this year in the role of Chaplain. As Chaplain, Jason has two main roles in the College. Firstly, he will organise, lead and join students in service-learning activities such as Breakfast Club. These opportunities will allow students to form new connections, learn new skills and develop their own religious perspectives through a lived experience of service. Secondly, our Chaplain will support students in our mentoring program and those requiring pastoral support.

 

Priest – Fr Ray

We are infinitely blessed to have Fr Ray as our presiding Priest, critical friend and College mentor. Fr Ray joins us for our school liturgical celebrations. He also assists in the planning of key events such as our Feast Day and staff formation.  He continues to share his wisdom with staff and ensures we stay true to our College history and mission.

I am incredibly excited about the new Mission and Identity Team and I look forward to our growth and development over the year.

 

Kellie-Marie Ford

Assistant Principal – Religious Education

E kford@sjc.qld.edu.au

 

I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the introduction of two new cards that could be presented to your son or daughter by their teacher. The first one is for Aspiring to Excellence and the second one is for Participating and Persevering.

A few weeks ago, we recognised students for academic excellence by presenting Gold, Silver and Bronze awards which was based on the number of A’s they received for Semester 2, 2020.  We will do the same thing at the beginning of Semester 2 this year based on Semester 1 results.

These cards are designed to encourage all students to live out the values of the Joey’s Way and acknowledges students for Endeavour: in particular in the areas of Aspiring to Excellence and Participating and Persevering.

If your son or daughter receives one of these cards, they are to take it to the Ignatius room where it will be recorded, and a letter sent home to parents acknowledging their achievement.  As a College we are also looking at other ways we can reward students who are showing these attributes.

The second area I would like to explain is a Self-Reflection Activity as we are asking your son or daughter to complete during Joey’s Way.  Students are being asked to take time to reflect on the term and complete a blank report card.

Your son or daughter is being asked to complete their academic progress on a 5 point scale (A to E), and their learning behaviours – Application, Participation, Punctuality, organisation (indicating what they think you should receive from your teachers) VG, G,S, N

We would like students to reflect on their goals for the term and indicate which goals they have achieved and how they have demonstrated this.  Students are still reflecting on their punctuality, co-operation, uniform and participation in Joey’s Way.

Finally, we would like students to indicate their attendance this term. Obviously, there is often genuine reasons when they are away (like sickness) but we would still like students to reflect on their attendance and complete that section of their report card.

For year 12’s we are asking them to indicate their ‘Provisional’ result for their First Internal Assessment (IA1) for Unit 3 and their learning behaviours.  ‘Provisional’ result for Internal Assessment 1 (IA1) is the result the teacher has given the student for their first piece after internal moderating processes have been completed.  This result cannot be confirmed until it has been through the QCAA confirmation process and students will see their final confirmed result in their myQCE account once this has been finalized.

Year 12’s are also asked to indicate in point form – how they have shown progress and what they may benefit from.  We are hoping that this reflection will align with what the teachers are suggesting as feedback to students.  As a College, we would encourage you to discuss this with your son or daughter when you receive their upcoming report cards.

 

Mrs Kerrie-Anne Fellenberg
Assistant Principal – Curriculum

E kfellenberg@sjc.qld.edu.au

As you are aware, each Imperative of our Joey’s Way is linked to a piece of scripture (because we are a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition) and the Australian Curriculum (because we are legislatively required to teach our students according to Australian Curriculum). We also know that the connection of these two important requirements is what will make us a great learning community in the service of all humankind. This week, it’s my privilege to talk about our imperative to Aspire to Excellence.  

The Gospel of Mathew (5:13-16) talks about salt and light: 

‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.’ 

 To be the light of the world, we have to give ourselves permission to shine and shine brightly. We are all amazing and capable human beings as our Creator God has equipped us with gifts and talents. But too often, out of fear of being seen or being noticed, we hide our true capabilities.  

St Joseph’s College is a learning institution, which means that we don’t expect excellence from all our communities all the time. What we do expect, however, is that we aspire to excellence in all areas of College life. Aspiring to excellence means committing wholly to our learning, being resilient in the face of failure and disappointment and, vitally, embracing feedback. Equally, we know that seeing ourselves as excellent is often the first indicator that we are, in fact, not excellent. All of history’s great thinkers, leaders, athletes and explores share one common trait, the relentless pursuit of self-improvement. In other words, the moment we believe ourselves to have reached a level of excellence, is the moment we are not.    

The Joey’s Way calls us to aspire to be the best that we can be in all that we do. To be excellent means to go beyond expectations and reach outstanding levels. Excellence is not just achieving straight As or winning the grand final. Any individual who has reached a level of excellence in a particular field will remind us that complacency is the antithesis of excellence. 

Jesus offers us the perfect model to aspire to. As Catholics, we strive to follow in the footsteps of Jesus who showed excellence in compassion, teaching and learning, and inclusion.   

Aspire to Excellence Looks Like: 

• Developing effective study habits 
• Applying yourself in each class 
• Completing all homework tasks 
• Self-editing assessment  
• Peer-editing assessment  
• Giving effective feedback  
• Participating in range of school activities 
• Setting SMART Goals 
• Monitoring your growth in all areas (academic, sport, culture) 

Aspire to Excellence Sounds Like: 

• Positive self-talk 
• Encouraging others  
• Acceptance of all strengths and interests 
• Giving and receiving effective feedback 
• Celebrating academic success  
• Celebrating sporting and cultural success 

Aspire to Excellence Feels Like: 

• Exciting as we reach our goals 
• Challenging as we stretch ourselves further 
• Pride in ourselves and others 
• The joy of learning 
• Being consistent and persistent 
• Recognising your talents and your weaknesses 

 

Joe Cryle

Assistant Principal – Student Engagement

E jcryle@sjc.qld.edu.au

 

The phrase ‘time flies’ was something that my younger self could not relate to, or appreciate, and I would often roll my eyes when I heard someone utter this. Fast forward to an older self and it is one that I catch myself using often – especially as we find ourselves in Week 8 of Term 1! In the short space of eight weeks, there has been plenty happening in the Senior Years, and I would like to provide you with a snapshot of what has been taking place.

Throughout the term, Years 10, 11 and 12 students have engaged in Study Skills lessons during Joey’s Way time. These lessons have prompted students to consider what habits and dispositions an effective learner utilises, and they have engaged in activities to evaluate their learning habits to self-identify areas that they need to address over the term. We acknowledge that our Senior Students have a variety of commitments – school, work and extra-curricular activities and an ability to balance one’s time is an important habit, therefore a focus on time management has also featured during these lessons.

Earlier in the term, Academic Care interviews were held for our Year 12 students. These interviews ensure our commitment to Year 12 students, their learning and future pathways. Through a collaborative conversation with students’ Academic Mentors, discussions were had around the following areas:

• Academic Achievement
• QCE tracking
• ATAR predictions
• Engagement and commitment, and
• Goals setting

Learning is a partnership between school and home and it is vitally important that these collaborative partnerships are established; these meetings allowed rich conversations to occur and I would like to sincerely thank those parents who were able to attend these meetings. It was inspiring to learn more about each student’s future pathway options they are visioning and listen to the steps they are taking to ensure that they reach their goals. It is envisaged that Academic Care interviews will occur again for our Year 12 students later in the year. Of course, if you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your son or daughter’s Academic Mentor or me.

As our Year 11 students embark on their senior phase of learning, it is important that they understand their responsibility for maintaining academic integrity across their subjects. Over the next fortnight, Year 11 students will be completing the QCAA Academic Integrity course in either their Religion and Ethics class or Study of Religion class. During these lessons, students will cover four modules to help them better understand what academic integrity is to avoid academic misconduct. Additionally, students will learn how to effectively utilise drafting practices to improve their work. In preparation for this course, students have been asked to set up their individual myQCE account. Information regarding this has been sent to parents and emailed to students.

Finally, I would like to congratulate three students who have actioned the Joey’s Way Imperative of Aspire to Excellence. These students have successfully completed Headstart courses at the University of Southern Queensland over Semester 3, 2020.

Congratulations to Jonah Joseph (Year 12), Pookie Lane-Gessiri (Year 12) and Miniver Cullin-Willy (Year 11).

   

 

Karen Tobin

Program Middle Leader – Senior Years Learning Leader

ktobin@sjc.qld.edu.au

 

Upcoming NAPLAN

Once again this year, students in Years 7 and 9 will participate in a National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). NAPLAN is designed to test numeracy and literacy at the appropriate year levels. The results of these tests are released to the community on the website www.myschool.edu.au.

NAPLAN Online
COVID restrictions forced the cancellation of NAPLAN in 2020, but St Joseph’s College engaged with the NAPLAN Online platform in 2019 and will do so again in 2021.

NAPLAN Online provides many opportunities for students, teachers and parents. It provides better assessment, more precise results and faster turnaround of information.

• Adaptive design & better testing:

NAPLAN Online uses a tailored test or adaptive design, where the test automatically adapts to a student’s performance and asks questions that match the student achievement level; allowing the student to demonstrate their knowledge.

For example, students who struggle with questions early in the test are directed to questions that are less complex. Students performing at a higher level in the test will have an opportunity to answer questions that are more complex. This provides teachers and schools with more targeted and detailed information on students’ performances on the tests. Tailored testing also provides an opportunity to broaden the scope of the assessments and maintains the students’ engagement in the test.

• Fast turnaround of results:

Delivery of assessments online significantly reduces the time it takes to provide feedback to schools, students, and parents, so teachers can respond more quickly to learning needs.

You can preview what the test environment will look like by investigating the NAPLAN Online Public Demonstration site – https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site

Student Preparation

As a school we have been (and will continue to) prepare students for the rigors of NAPLAN Online. Students have been working on a variety of Literacy activities and, in the coming weeks, will become familiar with the strategies in undertaking an online test. The various departments are conducting the following preparation with the Year 7 & 9 students:

 Whole school Strategic Grammar and Punctuation Program
 Whole school vocabulary enhancement
 English Department – Writing (Persuasive and Narrative genre), Spelling, Guided Reading techniques, Grammar and Punctuation, Literacy Improvement English guided reading lessons.
 Mathematics Department – Numeracy (both with calculator and without calculator)
 Humanities Department – Literacy Improvement Humanities guided reading lessons.
 Science Department – Vocabulary

Literacy and numeracy are crucial to success and, as such, are considered fundamental in education. Completion of this preparation program may assist your learner’s performance in these examinations as well as their academic studies.

Key Dates
• 22 April – Year 7 and 9 students will participate a NAPLAN Online Practice Test
• 11-14 May – Year 7 and 9 students will complete the NAPLAN Online Test over four days
• 17-18 May – Catch up testing window for students who were unable to complete one or more of the tests during the scheduled testing window

If you do not want your learner to undertake one or all of the NAPLAN tests, please contact the College for more information regarding withdrawal.

If you have any questions regarding the upcoming NAPLAN testing please do not hesitate to contact the College.

Cate Park-Ballay

Middle Years Learning Leader/NAPLAN Co-Ordinator
cpark-ballay@sjc.qld.edu.au

Igniting Learning in Science

Caption: 8 Science students determining the energy content of foods

On behalf of the Science teachers at St Joseph’s College, I would like to welcome your child back for another year in our laboratories. There is one key enhancement to the tools that Science classes will be using this year to facilitate learning.

Stile gives students the power to continue to learn where and when they want. It blends a traditional textbook with simulations, experiments and formative assessment. The interactive nature of Stile combines a range of open-ended tasks and promotes discussion. We find that it empowers your child to observe, think, write and argue like a real scientist. By providing a range of targeted work through Canvas, their textbook, formative and summative assessments, and now stile, we can ensure all students are exposed to a range of lower and higher-order thinking skills.

 

To that end, you may have noticed a change in the type of summative assessment your child is completing in Science. All Science students from 7 – 12 will complete 4 assessment instruments each year. In 7 – 10 these have been aligned to what your child can expect to see when they enrol in the senior sciences.

Supporting Success in Science

With the completion of Term One assessment and release of marks and report cards, students may reflect on their results and ask what they can do to improve.

Flashcards can be used to revise for tests and can help with remembering essential facts and terminology. In 7-10 I recommend using Squiz. The content is linked to what is being covered in Science classes and targets gaps in knowledge to reinforce understanding. Click on the icons below to download it for free, from wherever you get your apps.

Tutoring is available to all students on Tuesday afternoons in the Library. However, if students have specific questions, they can always contact their teacher and arrange a suitable time outside of classes.

Self-Efficacy is also important. Students need to understand they don’t fail because they aren’t capable. Achievement below expectation occurs when students don’t spend enough time on the task, in preparation or didn’t follow instructions. At the end of Semester One, all students in 7 – 9 will complete an exam. It will cover content from Term One and Term Two. Students can start establishing a revision schedule now. All the questions on the exam will be drawn from the Learning Intentions and Success Criteria which are outlined in the pages on Canvas.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Bill Whiting

Curriculum Leader – Science

bwhiting@sjc.qld.edu.au

The Rice House motto of ‘A Gentle Strength’ has been present in the lives of all Rice staff and students as we tackle the challenges of 2021 head-on. Both staff and students have shown their dedication to a variety of classroom and extra-curricular activities.

In particular, our victory at the 2021 College Swimming Carnival. A great example of how a champion team will always overcome a team of champions. Enthusiastically led by our House Captains for 2021, Keely Geiger, and Nicholas Sheedy, our participation and perseverance as a whole House saw the majority of our students get in the pool and earn points for the House, earning Rice the victory by a whopping 700 points!

Supporting Keely and Nicholas in our Student Leadership team in 2021 are our Vice Captains; congratulations must also be given to these students for the way they have carried themselves, leading through service during the start of this year. Kalei Brighton (12), Emily Batterham (11), Zoe Brown (11), Keira Buchanan (11), Harry Fry (11), Noah Lawson (11), Savannah Teakle (11), Tahlia Utz (11) and Summer Wilkie (11).

This year we have had some slight changes to our Joey’s Way class teachers, with two new staff joining. We welcome Mrs Dilki Balalla (R3) and Mrs El-Mari Verster (R10). Along with continuing staff Mrs Natasha Digweed (R1), Miss Deb Mischlewski (R2), Mr Mitchell Wheeldon (R4), Miss Adriana Sardoni (R5), Mr Mitchell Kilgour (R6), Mrs Alex Gannon (R7), Mr Paul Canning (R8) and Miss Beth Moloney (R9).  As your child’s JW teacher, they are parents first port of call.  Seeing them every morning for 30 minutes has allowed them to build a strong relationship and act as a support mechanism and advocate in all areas of their journey at SJC. Should you have any questions or concerns, I would encourage you to make contact with them as well as myself as House Leader.

Finally, I would like to congratulate the Rice house students and their families for the way students have exhibited the imperative of ‘be proud, be humble’ in their presentation over the course of the first eight weeks of the year. As we move into the colder months, please be reminded of the College uniform policy and ensure that all outerwear is appropriate.

Edmund Rice Prayer
O God, we thank you for the life of Blessed Edmund Rice.
He opened his heart to Christ, present in those oppressed by poverty and injustice.
May we follow his example of faith and generosity.
Grant us the courage and compassion of Blessed Edmund as we seek to live lives of love and service.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

Thomas Moore
Rice House Leader

tmoore@sjc.qld.edu.au

This week we introduce Dane Harris and Colin Speed.  Both gentlemen are new members of the Student Services Department as Teacher Aides.  Welcome to SJC.

Dane Harris                 Colin Speed

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Friday afternoon, March 5, Paul Canning, Mal Ayuel and myself took a group of boys from the Confraternity Rugby League Team to St Maria Goretti School at Inglewood.

This is a trip that we have been doing for about the last 8 years. (We were unable to make the trip last year, due to Covid).This year, we delivered a mobile chicken coop that Shane Ramage and the Year 12 Construction class built in 2019.

When we arrived on Friday afternoon, the boys were put to work. Our tasks this year were to carry out some repairs around the school (raised garden beds) and also tidy up some of the gardens and plant some plants.

Friday night was the school community BBQ. The parents, students and staff attended the BBQ, with our boys entertaining the younger primary school students – playing games and basketball.

On Saturday morning, the St Joseph’s boys ran a series of ‘skills drills’ and also some training sessions. Over half of the student population (both boys and girls) attended the session and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  Again, our students were fantastic and were a credit to St Joseph’s College.

The focus of the trip was to ‘give back’ to community and I think that both the community of St Maria Goretti and the St Joseph’s College students both benefited from the experience.

The students involved were: Harry Fry, Nick Fuller, Will Hauser, Connor Hughes, Preston McIlrick, Harvey Olm, Baxter Smith, Marley Tunstead, Beau Wilson, Christian Wilson and Elijah Willey.

Special thanks also to Paul Canning and Mal Ayuel for generously giving up their time to accompany the boys on this outing.

Brian Cantwell 

bcantwell@sjc.qld.edu.au

On Tuesday 16th March some of our Year 10 students undertook the Construction Skills Queensland Try’a Trade at Toowoomba TAFE.

Students interested in a career in a trade industry allowed students the opportunity to do just that – try a trade – and find the one that could be right for them.

The program delivered an interactive setting that allowed students to try their hand at Bricklaying, Carpentry, Electrical and Engineering skill and trade areas.

 

Finals Basketball

7/8 Girls

The girls played a team from St Saviour’s in what was probably our tightest game all season but that is probably what should be expected when we reach the finals.

The girls had a good win of 34 to 27 but it was not our best game to say the least. Our shots just wouldn’t go in for the first quarter. They bounced out but the girls kept trying hard rebounding everything they could and just kept putting the ball up in the hope that it would go in. New venue, different courts and big nerves may all have contributed to our nervous start.

Tyla Salmi top scored with 14 points followed by Libby Cooke on 10 points. She did a lot of head shaking as her shots just wouldn’t go in. Holly Robinson scored 6 points and Rihanna Whittaker and Ava Kelly both scored 2 points each.

This week we play Scots College at 4.00pm for a place in the grand final.

7/8 Boys

This week the boys came up against St Mary’s College. I think they caused Mr Logan to lose a bit more hair as it was a tight match right up until the last quarter. The first quarter we won 12 to 8. The second quarter was even at 8 all. St Mary’s won the third quarter 10 to 8. Suddenly the boys came to life and put on 11 points to 2 in the last quarter to win 39 to 28. They secure a place in the next round of finals and play against Downlands at 5.00pm to try and win that place in the grand final.

Darby Reid was everywhere as usual, and top scored this week with 11 points. Oliver Smyth was good at both ends of the court and finished on 9 points. Ryan Richardson was not far behind on 8 points. Kizito Ochire was jumping so high for the rebounds that he just about put himself in the ring. This is where he did most of his work and then scored a very valuable 4 points. Mason Deakin surprised himself with a three pointer and Adam Ladu and Luther Drew scored 2 points each.

9/10 Girls

The girls had a magnificent win on Friday night. They won 35 to 3 with all 7 girls playing a terrific game. The girls worked well together in both attack and defence to now take on St Saviours in the major semi-final for a place in the grand final. That’s not to say that St Ursula’s didn’t play a good game, we just played harder and won the ball more often than they did.

Tiarnee Smith top scored with 11 points closely followed by Abuk Aleer who managed to work so hard she fouled herself out of the game. She scored 10 points before this happened. Rebecca Scott put 5 on the board, Anna Deng 4 points, Nancy Daniel scored 3 and Indie Ranford rounded out the scoring with 2 points.

Open Boys

The boys came up against a few electric team from Centenary Heights. The boys from Centenary started off with a bang and we were down 18 to 5 at the end of the first quarter. It was like we didn’t turn up to play. The second quarter we lost by one point 12 to 13 so the boys were starting to claw their way back into the game. They had started to settle and play together. The third quarter was ours 10 to 8 so the game was starting to get very tight and tempers were getting a little short.

Unfortunately, the game was not ours to win and we lost 44 to 47. Fortunately for us though we lost by the lowest score and we earnt the right to play again next week against St Mary’s College at 9.00pm to gain that place in the grand final. Fingers are crossed we perform right from the word go this week.

Hayden Maripa top scored with 15 points closely followed by Patrick Aleer with 14 points. Ashton Waters scored 9 valuable points. David Deng scored 4 points and Dominic Deng put two points on the board.

The games will again be at the USQ stadium and each player will be allowed two spectators to watch in the grandstand this week. Tickets will be the same as last week.

If we make the finals, they will be played at Toowoomba Grammar School with 2 spectators allowed per again.

The game times will be 4.00pm years 7/8 girls and boys, 5.30pm years 9/10 boys and girls and 7.00pm open boys and girls.

Futsal

On Tuesday night the boy’s futsal team played their grand final against Harristown. The boys had gone through undefeated until this game but went down fighting. We lost the game 6 goals to 3 but listening to the spectators around me watching, it was one of the best games that they had seen for the season.

The boys need to be congratulated on the way they played, demonstrating great sportsmanship and resilience throughout the entire season. Hopefully some of them will trial for the DD team later on in the year.

Thank you to parents for allowing them to be part of the competition.

Laura Geitz Netball Carnival

Nine very dedicated girls arrived at Glennie for a 7.50am game starting time. We warmed up for our first game against Fairholme College which we seem to do every year at this carnival. We were nervous as it was our first competition and also for the fact that Fairholme had a six-foot shooter. Game times were only 2, 7-minute halves so there wasn’t a lot of chances if you made mistakes, to claw your way back. I was very proud of the girls as we only lost 14 to 8.

Our second and third games were much more settled, and our combinations were working much better. We won against St Ursula’s 16 to 5 and Goondiwindi SHS 16 to 1.

Our next two games were against Downlands and Centenary Heights SHS. The game against Downlands should have been ours but we were rushing our passes and trying to play at the same pace as them. They were making heaps of mistakes, but we just didn’t capitalise on that and lost 9 to 6. We slowed down in the next game against Centenary Heights and weren’t so excited in our plays. We beat them 15 to 4.

Our final game in the round was against Glennie and we needed to finish in second or third place as we didn’t want to meet Fairholme in the semi-final. We played strong and hard and came out winners 12 to 1 leaving us in third place for the semis.

This meant we were playing Downlands again and having discussed how we played last time we knew what we had to do. We slowed down our game and concentrated on our game play, but Downlands came out even stronger and again we didn’t capitalise on their mistakes and kept losing the ball after having made the intercept or chased down a stray ball. They managed to beat us 9 to 7.

Our final game was the play off for the bronze medal against St Ursula’s. After the disappointment of not beating Downlands again we were determined not to lose our next game. We came out hard fought hard, played well as a team and got the medal 12 points to 8. So very proud of the girls and even prouder of the fighting spirit they had during a long and exhausting day.

A big thank you to Mr Wheeldon who supported us all day, Jemma Bradshaw who helped me coach throughout the day and to the parents who supported their girls and also helped out on the score bench. The girls appreciated all this very much.

TSSS Swimming Carnival

Eight young ladies volunteered to swim at the TSSS interschool carnival on March 11 at Milne Bay Pool. The day was probably the worst day for swimming as it was cold and overcast and the water was freezing according to the swimmers.

Our main goal for the day was to try and duplicate the success we had with Romey and Sienna in the 15 years girls team last year and bring home the 16 years trophy. But alas someone made a rule change at the end of the day and we were not successful in winning this trophy.

Events by Swimmers:

Sienna Deurloo

1^st 200 m Freestyle Div A

1^st 50m breaststroke Div B

5^th 100m Butterfly Div A

1^st 50 m Freestyle Div A

1^st 200m IM Div A

1^st 50m backstroke Div A

2^nd 100m freestyle Div A

1^st 50m butterfly Div A

1^st 100m backstroke Div A

Romey Wiemers

1^st 50 m Breaststroke Div A

7^th 100m butterfly Div B

1^st 50 m freestyle Div B

2^nd 100m breaststroke Div A

3^rd 200m IM Div B

5^th 50m Backstroke Div B

2^nd 50m Butterfly Div A

Emily Lewis

3^rd 200m Freestyle Div B

2^nd 50m Breaststroke Div A

2nd 50m Freestyle Div A

1^st 50m Backstroke Div A

2^nd 100m Freestyle Div B

5^th 50m Butterfly Div A

1^st 100m Backstroke Div B

Tameka Dyne

9^th 50m Breaststroke Div A

9^th 50m Freestyle Div A

8^th 50m Backstroke Div A

10^th 50m Butterfly Div A

Elizabeth Koch

4^th 40 m Breaststroke Div B

3^rd 50m Freestyle Div B

4^th 50m Backstroke Div B

4^th 50m Butterfly Div B

Regan Gardner

3^rd 50m Breaststroke Div A

2^nd 50m Freestyle Div A

6^th 100m Breaststroke Div B

4^th 50 Backstroke Div A

3^rd 50m Butterfly Div A

Hayley Utz

8^th 50m Breaststroke Div A

8^th 50m Freestyle Div A

6^th 50m Backstroke Div A

7^th 50m Butterfly Div A

Lilly-May Krause

2^nd 50m Breaststroke Div B

1^st 50 Freestyle Div B

4^TH 50M Backstroke Div B

3^rd 50m Butterfly Div B

From these results we were gifted with the Open events trophy. This is basically the open 100m and 200 events.

And Sienna Deurloo also was very surprised when she was announced the “Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet” and presented with the Owen Janetzki trophy. This is quite an achievement to win this trophy from all swimmers at the meet. Sienna basically swam most events during the day and as you can see in her results did exceptionally well.

But all girls need to be congratulated on a magnificent effort on the day and a big thank you to Ms Ford for assisting me in the timekeeping duties.

New Land Speed Record.

Emily Gray, year nine, and Kylie Gray, year seven, travelled to Lake Gardiner in South Australia through weeks six and seven to attempt beating an Australian Land Speed record. Our girls did extremely well, considering the weather conditions that prevented them both from claiming Australian records.

Land Speed racing is driving/riding your car or motorbike as fast as you can down the salt track to see how fast you can go. The girls spent 12 months working with their father to build their car from scratch.

The record the girls were trying to beat was 75mph (120km/h). The girls drove in different classes that had the same record. Emily was first to drive to test the car. After passing her licensing, her first and only run was 76 mph. After much success, they altered the car to make it go faster for the next morning. Kylie had her first open run with the new gearing and drove 77 mph. She sat in impound and then was taken back to the start line to back up her run for the record. Unfortunately, just before her run it started to rain and the track was closed.

The girls had an amazing opportunity to take part in photo shoots with the fastest women on the Salt, Rachelle Splatt and Gemma Dunn. Both these teams were the only all-girl teams on the salt.

Deb Newton

Program Leader – Sports

dnewton@sjc.qld.edu.au

# Choose to Challenge # IWD 2021 

International Women’s Day was celebrated during Week 7 in the Library.  We decided to be empowered by looking at our favourite Disney movies that had strong and independent female characters.  Mulan and Moana were on show and were a hit with students.  Both movies watched truly captured the theme of this years International Women’s Day: Choose to Challenge.  As well as viewing our movies, students created origami hearts to spread positive and empowering messages with the College community. 

Through our conversation wall situated in the Library, we asked students to engage with the International Women’s Day theme by letting us know the following: 

What do you do in the face of a challenge? 

Why should we challenge the status quo? 

How do you challenge yourself? 

How do you challenge others? 

 New books! 

During her lessons with all our Year 7 and 8 English classes, Mrs Andrews gave students the opportunity to recommend and request topics that they would like to read about and books they would like to add to our collection. This saw a flood of requests fill the inbox of the Library email address and the librarians working hard to match available texts to students’ interests.  

Excitingly, these texts have arrived, and the Library staff have been busy adding the new books to the collection.  This week we have added over 50 new titles. Some of the genres that have been added to our collection are Biographies, Sport (including Cricket, Dance and Netball), Horror, Fantasy, and Art and Craft books. Some of the new titles are illustrated in the included photos.  

With these new titles, Miss Hesson was able to create a beautiful display that tied in with International Women’s Day #Choose to Challenge, showcasing titles that could possibly challenge us. 

Holiday Borrowing 

As a friendly reminder, with Easter holidays coming up could you please ensure that any overdue books are returned.   Students are welcome to borrow books to read over the holidays should they choose to do so. We would love to see all our students enjoying reading during their break! 

 

Managing feelings of sadness and signs of depression

All children experience times of sadness, usually after a moment of upset (i.e. when something didn’t go their way), or when dealing with a particularly challenging circumstance (e.g. family separation). Usually after the event is over and some time has passed these feelings of sadness lift. If, however, negative feelings linger for a long time it may be another kind of sadness, called depression. Depression is a type of mood disorder, which affects the way we think and see ourselves. There are a few signs to look out for, particularly if they happen together over several weeks. Some of the signs that children are depressed, include: changes in mood, low energy and motivation, loss of interest in activities they previously enjoyed, making negative comments about themselves, withdrawal from social situations, more irritable and agitated, problems sleeping and changes in eating habits (losing interest in food or overeating). It’s important to look out for the signs that sadness has become more than just a difficult feeling and might now be affecting your child’s sense of self-worth. Some children believe their situation will never get better and feel they are worthless. This can lead to some children having thoughts of suicide. When children talk about suicide it must always be taken seriously. Often children are expressing feelings of distress rather than an intention to kill themselves. Urgent support should always be sought at these times. You can call your doctor, mental health crisis support service, or go with them to your local hospital’s emergency department. In an emergency, call triple zero (000).

What you can do to help:
– Talk to your child about how they are feeling, let them know it’s ok to ask for help
– Problem solve together any situation, which might be causing distress and work out solutions together
– Do something fun, get outside and do some exercise
– Encourage your child to engage in a relaxation activity such as mindfulness

Seeking professional support:
If your child’s change in mood is severe or goes on for a few weeks without improving, seek professional help. See your local GP, who may then suggest seeing a mental health professional who specializes in working with children.

Crisis support phone lines:
• Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800
• Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636

The world of work is changing and it is difficult to make a decision about a career. To start thinking about career options, I have included five concepts for you to consider.

Not sure how to start thinking about your career options?

The High Five are wise concepts to consider when making career decisions.

1.  Change is constant – The world of work is always changing. You also change as you develop personally and experience life. Don’t be afraid of change; accept it and use it as an opportunity.

2.  Know yourself and follow your heart – A most important skills in career management are self-awareness – knowing your interests, abilities, values, aspirations and the things/people that influence you. Start your job ideas list with jobs you would most like (dream jobs) even if they are currently unrealistic. This can get you started and lead to other jobs you hadn’t thought of.

3.  Focus on the journey – It’s good to have goals, both short and long term. However, you should not be so focused on them that you miss opportunities that may emerge along the way.

4.  Learning is ongoing – Learning doesn’t stop just because you finish your course and get a job. Just as change is constant so is the need to keep up to speed with new technologies, new methods of practice and emerging trends in your career field.

5.  Access your allies – These are the people who can help and support you during your career journey, your school guidance officer/counsellor, teachers, your family and friends, sport coaches and others within your social network. You can learn much from other people’s experiences.

Have you heard of Hospital Orderlies, Journalists and other writers or Window Dressers?

Hospital Orderlies assist with the provision of care to patients in a hospital by ensuring wards are neat and tidy, lifting and turning patients and transporting them in wheelchairs or on movable beds and providing direct care and support. They are also known as wards persons or patient services assistant. You can work as a hospital orderly without formal qualifications, however, a certificate II or III in health support services or health services assistance may be useful.

Journalists and Other Writers research and compile news stories, write and edit news reports, commentaries and feature stories for presentation in print and electronic media and compose written material to advertise goods and services. You usually need a university qualification in journalism, writing, communications or another related field to work as a journalist or other writer. Some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.

Visual Merchandisers plan and install internal, window and fixed displays to show goods to their best advantage. They are also referred to as a Window Dresser. You can work as a Visual Merchandiser without formal qualifications. Some on the job training may be provided. A certificate III or IV in visual merchandising or sales and marketing might be helpful.

Year 10 Work Experience

To help you organise work experience. Read ‘Tips for finding work experience’ on the myfuture website for other ways of finding work experience.

Key dates for Bond University

Bond University – Upcoming Events/ Experience Days

Health Simulation Day

Saturday, 12th of June 2021 OR
Saturday, 4th of September 2021

Yr 12 Business Extension

1. Wednesday, 28 April 2021 & Thursday, 29 April 2021
2. Friday, 7 May 2021 & Saturday, 8 May 2021

***Once students successfully complete the two day program, they can apply direct to study at Bond University and be eligible to receive three 50% scholarships and three 25% scholarships.

Yr 12 Math Extension

Thursday, 15 April 2021 & Friday, 16 April 2021

***Once students successfully complete the two day program, they can apply direct to study at Bond University and be eligible to receive three 50% scholarships and three 25% scholarships.

BUFTA – Bond University Film and Television Competition (BUFTA)

Bond University Open Day

Dates: Not confirmed as of now, but looking very likely for the event to run on the 24th of July.

I will keep you updated on the developments of Open Day.

Congratulations to new School Based Apprentice Brendan Roche with Brendan Coonan of Brendan Coonan Plumbing & Gas Fitting, Certificate III in Plumbing.

Congratulations to new School Based Trainee, Emily Batterham Certificate III in Hospitality at KFC Toowoomba South.

 

Please click on the following links to view the current SBA vacancies

Cert II in Warehousing Operations

Cert III in Warehousing Operations

Cert III in Hospitality

 

Year 10 Work Experience: 21^st – 25^th June 2021

A reminder for Year 10 students to organise your placement sooner than later. Please email the Careers team for an Employer list in a particular Industry area you are looking at for ideas.

“Work experience is so important. Finding out what you don’t like is equally as important as finding out what you do.”

ACM20117 Certificate II in Animal Studies at UQ Skills in 2021.

This program will run on the UQ Gatton Campus for one day per week during school terms, commencing in the week starting the 5th of April with students achieving their qualification by the end of 2021.

Please see Mrs Stafford for an Application Pack.

Please return application information by 28th March 2021.

Students can access the UQ Intercampus Bus to get to the Gatton campus however they need to apply for a student ID card by sending back the attached form and a passport style photo (this can be taken yourself). Please click the following link to see if the intercampus bus has a stop near you:

Click here for bus information 

UQ Skills Admin Team
UQ Skills
Faculty of Science
The University of Queensland
Morrison Hall, Building 8123, Room 110
Gatton Campus, Gatton QLD 4343 Australia

 

 

TAFE Queensland South West

The Year 10 Taster Programs allows eligible high school students to try out a trade without needing to commit to a full qualification or apprenticeship. Students get to see what option is best for them, or test out a potential career path that they’re considering following in the future.

What happens next?

From the week beginning 22nd March 2021, emails will be sent to students (and parent/guardians) that have applied, advising students that:
• They have a confirmed place in the Taster they have chosen to participate in
• They have been unsuccessful in gaining a place in this round of Taster programs

How do the Year 10 Taster Programs work?

The Year 10 Trade Taster Program delivers training to small groups of up to 14 students, one day per week for nine weeks. Throughout the program, students get to try four different trade areas as well as having the opportunity to complete their Construction Industry Safety White Card.
The Year 10 Skills Taster Program delivers training to small groups of up to 14 students, one day per week for nine weeks. Throughout the program, students get to try three different skills areas as well as having the opportunity to complete their Responsible Service of Alcohol Certificate.
The Year 10 Health Taster Program delivers training to small groups of up to 14 students, one day per week for nine weeks. Throughout the program, students get to try three different health areas as well as having the opportunity to complete their First Aid Certificate

Students will complete individual competencies from various programs but will not complete a full certificate or obtain any QCE credits.

If you have any questions regarding the Year 10 Taster Programs, please contact Mrs Stafford at the College.
________________________________________

The Digital Parents Showcase is back for 2021!

The Skills and Thrills Digital Showcase is a 30 minute video available (free) to all parents, with most benefit to parents of high school aged students.

This video resource will only be available from March 03 to May 31, 2021, we encourage it to be watched in this time.

The video will cover the following information:

• Industry trends for the next 5-15 years
• Industry trends post Covid-19 impacts
• Apprenticeships
• Traineeships
• School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBATs)
• Opportunities in the vocational education and training sector (VET)
• How to support our child to make informed career choices

SkillsOne will additionally be hosting a video panel discussion with industry representatives and ambassadors in Tuesday, 11 May (evening). Parents can submit questions to be addressed on the evening via info@skillsone.com.au.

Click here for video access and information

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

NEXT MEETING

May 4 – 7pm – Library

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

Click here for Minutes of Meeting 02.03.2021

Click here for Treasurer’s Report 

Click here for Property Report

An invitation is extended to all Parents and Friends of our community to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Catholic Schools Parents Qld Diocese of Toowoomba to be held on Friday, March 26, 2021, at the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office.

Please click here to view invitation details.

 

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

Winter stock is now available.

We are currently taking appointments for winter uniform fittings.   Appointment bookings will take preference over walk-ins if the shop is busy.

https://MidfordBooking.as.me/StJosephsCollegeToowoomba

Blazers are available for the cold weather  – all sizes available.

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 10, 18, 20 & 22 Jumpers                        ETA 05/05

 

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

TRADING HOURS

TUES & THURS        –        8AM TO 12PM

WED                            –         8AM TO 4PM

Maximum 4 people in the store at once.

Easter Holidays Trading Hours    Click here to view.

 

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