Newsletter - Term 2 - Week 8 - Issue 86

From the Principal

Dear Parents, Carers and Students

I would like to start my article this week by congratulating the vast majority of our young people who constantly pay attention to all aspects of the high expectations that we want the young people to have of themselves. We are blessed to be part of a community that agrees high expectations are good for young people and that our students do understand the need for this – even though at times they may not agree with it.

This commendation and thanks is extended to you, our parents and carers, who share the understanding of aiming for our young people to be upholding the ‘Joey’s Way’, 100% of the time.

An example of the type of alignment that our parents and carers have with our ‘Joey’s Way’ is succinctly captured in a conversation that I heard the other day between one of our parents and their young person. The parent was clearly heard saying to her son, “manners cost nothing, but they have huge relationship-building power.”

Some people might say that St Joseph’s College is a little old school in regard to our expectations regarding manners and the ‘Joey’s Way.’ We make no apologies around our standards regarding manners and the expectation that we exercise basic civility when speaking to others. Some say we are counter-cultural on these points, and some students struggle to work within the culture and standards we set.

The late Australian poet and entertainer, Clive James, captured the scene in Melbourne’s Bourke Street Mall in his poem In Town for the March:

“Past the facade of David Jones

Men walk their mobile telephones,

Making the footpath hideous

With what they needed to discuss.

But why so long, and why so loud?”

This scene is a small example of self-absorption, a disease that seems to be flourishing. An overly strong concern for self can lead to self-centeredness, or a strong focus on my needs, wants, and desires, leaving little room for awareness of and respect for others.

Being civil signals to other people that we are ready to obey shared rules and regulate our behaviour so as not to undermine their wellbeing. There is a great need in our society, with all its displays of rudeness, unprofessional conduct, disrespect, and anger, for people to be civil to each other if our social life is to function efficiently and with a minimum of unnecessary conflict and disruption.

Teaching civility and good manners will improve everyone’s quality of life. Unfortunately, some young people mimic the incivility of the adult world. Children are learning to disrespect authority, so any way that teachers and staff can support families and families support the College will help to reverse this tendency.

It is commonly accepted in the business world today that good manners are as vital as good grades when it comes to landing a job and getting ahead.  A St Joseph’s College education is about developing the whole person - developing good manners and being civil are central to this educational process.

With that all said, it is an absolute pleasure to get positive emails from people who have visited the College. Emails that demonstrate our students, on the whole, do get it and do possess good manners!  One such example from Open Day follows and whilst this email has been deidentified, I have ensured that I have not only congratulated these two individual students but also all of the wonderful ambassadors of the College who assisted on Open Day. A truly wonderful endorsement of for the type of young people that who we want to work with our parents to mould.

Good Evening, Mr Goodman

Today my son and I attended your Open Day. We met two outstanding young students who were absolutely amazing human beings.

Student 1 who was absolutely amazing with my 11-year-old son. He went out of his way to engage my son in the art room when my son was unsure of what to do. He spent time with him in the library and kept a careful eye on him enabling me to meet with the wonderful teachers. He then gave us an amazing tour of the school. What an outstanding young man.

Student 2 was phenomenal assisting another young girl in the group ensuring that she was included and acknowledged and confided in the young girl how nervous she was when she came to Open Day. Later when the student saw the young girl again at the end of the tour, she went out of her way again to check in and ensured the young girl had a great time.

What phenomenal students you have at St Joseph’s College. After today there is no doubt in my mind that St Joseph’s College is the place for my child. Please pass on my thanks to these wonderful young people.

Year 7 2023 Enrolment

We currently have the required enrolment applications to fill the places in our cohort for Year 7 2023. We also have a waiting list for enrolments for our current 2022 Year 7, and Year 11 cohorts. Whilst this is a wonderful endorsement of the direction our college is heading in and the efforts of our staff it also provides some challenges.

One of these challenges is accommodating siblings of current students who we are not aware of. If you have a son or daughter who is a sibling of a current student, it is very important that you are aware of the current demand for enrolment at St Joseph’s College. We wish to accommodate current families, but we need this information for planning purposes. If this is the current situation for your family, we would ask that you contact the College immediately.

Applications for other year levels will be considered at the discretion of the College but we are very quickly reaching a scenario where we will have waiting lists in most if not all year levels.

Families who are looking to enrol their young people for 2024 are encouraged to now do so as planning for 2024 enrolment interviews will be carried out next term and start in term four this year.

Finally, I would ask that our community members share this information with their family and wider networks. I do this due to the fact that approximately half of our Year 7 enrolments each year come from schools who are not part of the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Diocese and we have no method of communicating with these families.  

Student Protection at St Joseph’s College Toowoomba

The most important daily concern for our school community is the health, safety and wellbeing of our students and staff. St Joseph’s College has a number of specific child protection responsibilities which are detailed in the Student Protection Processes and Guidelines, available on the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Website along with other information for parents and caregivers. Student protection | Parents and community | Diocese of Toowoomba Catholic Schools (twb.catholic.edu.au)

At our school, we have 4 staff members who can assist with student protection concerns. These staff members are called School Student Protection Contacts (SSPC’s) and you will see their names and photographs on posters around the school. Our current SSPC’s are Mr Thomas Moore (Rice House Leader), Ms Shauna Green (School Counsellor), Ms Heather D’Arcy (School Counsellor) and as College Principal I am also a SSPC. Students can speak to any of these 4 staff members if they have any worries about their own safety or wellbeing, or that of a friend or classmate. We thank these staff members for undertaking this important role in our school.

Kort Goodman - Principal - KGoodman@sjc.qld.edu.au

From the Deputy Principal

There has been so much sadness in the world this past fortnight. America has endured another senseless shooting rampage at a school. The accounts and stories that have been told are tragic and deeply troubling, and naturally, the world is filled with confusion or anger. Similarly, we continue to hear about the crimes occurring in Ukraine. Another tragic story was reported last week about an Australian man, Michael O’Neill who was killed whilst offering help as a humanitarian aid.

If you take into account these and other world events, it is no wonder the World Health Organisation estimates a dramatic decline in mental health. It is estimated that some 280 million people worldwide now suffer from depression. The latest ABS National Health Survey figures have revealed higher levels of anxiety, psychological distress and depression amongst millions of Australians, especially young people.

The mental health of young people has been significantly impacted by the pandemic and other world events. However, if there is a panacea to the adversity, then it is the building of resilience. This Special Report explores the “7 C’s of Resilience” and includes suggestions on how adult carers can best facilitate them. To view the latest SchoolTV report visit the below link.

Student Strategy: Retrieval Practice

Retrieval practice is the purposeful of intent of bringing information and skills to front of mind. Check out the below videos for a brief overview.

Fact Sheet on Retrieval Practice 

Upcoming Events

Brendon Willocks - Deputy Principal  -  BWillocks@sjc.qld.edu.au

From the AcademicCaptains

As we approach the halfway point of the 2022 school year, we would like to reflect on the academic progress of the Joey’s community thus far.  Firstly, congratulations to all of the Year 7, 8, and 9 students who were invited to the first Academic Morning Tea, for the year as a result of their perseverance and dedication to their studies in Term 1.  We encourage all students at St Joseph’s to aspire to excellence and look forward to further achievements with the presentation of gold, silver, and bronze awards following the completion of Semester One assessment.  We would also like to reiterate our intention of focussing on the learning attributes – application, behaviour, organisation, participation and punctuality – and the journey of each student to achieving their individual success.

A reminder to all students and parents, that peer-based study groups are continuing to be held in the library on a Thursday afternoon, alongside mathematics tutorials and the Academic Support program.  This ensures that there is not only the presence of teachers, but also fellow students who are willing to work collaboratively with anyone in attendance, in hopes of creating a positive learning environment that reinforces the teaching within the classroom.

Whilst Semester One is coming to a close, we wish all students the very best for any end of semester exams or assessment pieces which they are completing.  Keep in mind, that this is just the halfway point and there is still plenty of time to continue achieving to the best of your abilities.  We are excited for what the rest of the year holds and we look forward to witnessing the future achievements of Joey’s students

Maddison Duggan and Zachary Vellacott – Academic Captains 

From the Assistant Principal - Student Engagement

For parents of teenagers, managing expectations around screen time and cyber safety there can be a source of significant stress. As adults, a teenager’s compulsion to engage with social media and/or gaming is as hard to understand as it is to control. In a perfect scenario, we have built transparent and trusting relationships with our students and we believe we have equipped them to navigate the online world safely. In many cases, however, we believe this to be the case until the day we realise it is not. What we know for certain is that supporting teenager’s online safety requires consistent attention. Complacency from adults is a major impediment to our children’s safety online.

St Joseph’s College is very lucky to be supported by an organisation called Linewise, who provide us with access to a resource called FamilyZone. As part of our commitment to Cyber Safety St Joseph’s College has implemented web filtering and monitoring to restrict access to offensive and inappropriate content as well as websites known to cause distraction from learning during school hours.  Repeatedly trying to bypass the filtering put in place to safeguard students while on the internet may initiate notifications to staff about this practice. The ability to manage filtering outside of school hours on school supplied devices is also available to any parents that choose to accept this offer.

Additionally, parenting expert Dr Michael Carr-Gregg provides advice around managing screen time (and many other challenging of parenting) via SchoolTV here: https://sjc.qld.schooltv.me/newsletter/managing-screen-time

Thank you in anticipation of your partnership as we work to maximise safety for our students online.

Joseph Cryle - Assistant Principal - Student Engagement  -  JCryle@sjc.qld.edu.au 

From the Assistant Principal - Religious Education

Reflection: Pentecost Sunday

This past Sunday (5 June) we celebrated the feast of Pentecost. It is a time when I often reflect on the challenge of authentic discipleship, particularly in an increasingly secular world.

The Spirit is a Godly get-up-and-go that moves our lives.

Ann Rennie

Pentecost Prayer by Joan Chittister, OSB

The Holy Spirit embodies the life force of the universe, the power of God, the animating energy present in all things and captured by none. On this great feast of Pentecost, the coming of the Spirit of God, I invite you to pray with me:

Spirit of Catholic Education Awards

In Term 3 Week 3, we will celebrate Catholic Education Week across Queensland. As part of this week, we intend to recognise students with Spirit of Catholic Education Awards. The intent of these awards is to acknowledge students that are making an outstanding contribution to the life of St Joseph's College and beyond, through:

• participating in or initiating a program/s and or activity/ies in response to College and community needs.
• leading and assisting other students to live out the mission of Edmund Rice
• aspiring to excellence in all that they do such as academic, cultural, sporting and spiritual life of the College.
• engaging in life-giving relationships with members of our College and wider community or other members of the school community.
• being supportive of the faith, spiritual and outreach life of the College.
• actively live out the Joey's Way in all that they do.

The process for these awards is:

1. Staff and students nominate student recipients for Spirit of Catholic Education Award via the nomination form in Joey’s Way (by Monday 20 June, Week 10)
2. Recipients collated and awardees determined based on nominations and other data sources
3. Winners of awards are recognised at our Catholic Education Week Liturgy (Thursday 28 July)

Kellie-Marie Ford - Assistant Principal - Religious Education  -  KFord@sjc.qld.edu.au 

From the Assistant Principal - Curriculum

Report Cards

All Year 12’s received their End of Unit 3 report card last week. Please discuss with your child their learning behaviours and results.  Confirmation for the first internal assessment is still being finalised in all subjects. Results for the second internal assessment has been listed as provisional on the report cards. These results can change after confirmation.

Year 11’s will receive their End of Unit 1 report card next week.  Subject changes should have already been finalised with Mrs Tobin as we have commenced Unit 2 now.  If you have any questions, please contact the classroom teacher to discuss.

Years 7 to 10 will receive their report cards at the end of the term.  All report cards are emailed and published in the Parent Portal for you to access.

Toowoomba Catholic Schools - 2022 External Examination Preparation Program

Last week, all Year 12’s and their parents were sent a letter outlineing this year’s External Examination Program being held from Sunday 25 September to Friday 30 September.

Within the letter is a link to a form to Register your expression of Interest. As a College, we encourage you to attend this excellent preparation program for the subjects outlined above. Please refer to the email sent to you about the program for more details.  You are welcome to contact Mrs Tobin or myself if you have any questions.

Teaching and Learning at St Joseph's College 

Last week all students were engaged in Joey’s Way lessons unpacking elements of our new Teaching and Learning Model at the College.

Below is a diagram illustrating Teaching and Learning at St Joseph’s College which aligns with the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Teaching and Learning Framework.

Students were asked to reflect on the following:

What an Aspirational Community of Learners & Learning

• Looks like?
• Sounds like?
• Feels like?

As a student what does it mean to be Assessment Literate?

As a student you receive Feedback from your teachers….

• What feedback makes a difference to you?
• How do you provide feedback to your teachers?
• How do you implement Feedback?

We also discussed the Learning Pit and the results from our online survey were interesting.

A total of 500 students completed this survey from Years 7 to 12.

Students were asked what strategies do you use to get out of the learning pit?

Below is some of the feedback received which is positive.

Kerrie-Anne Fellenberg - Assistant Principal - Curriculum  -  KFellenberg@sjc.qld.edu.au 

Rice House

Over the last four weeks it has been my immense pleasure to step into the role of Acting Rice House Leader while Mr Tom Moore was on leave. The opportunity to work closely with the Student Engagement Team, College staff, students, and parents in this role has been an incredibly rewarding experience. 

At times, as a teacher I don't often take the time to watch how other teachers interact with the students in their classrooms. However, during this tenure, it has been refreshing to witness the way in which Rice House Teachers embed relational pedagogy into their practice. They use this time to develop connections with students on a personal level and engage in activities that link strongly to the General Capabilities of the Australian Curriculum, which supports teachers in equipping students with skills necessary skills to successfully navigate living and working in the 21st Century. 

The Rice House Staff embody the House's motto of A Gentle Strength where they demonstrate confident and caring interactions with their students. I am hopeful that the interactions students have with their Joey's Way Teachers each morning throughout the school year, reminds them of our College Values, and challenges them to keep the imperatives of Respect Unconditionally, Use Empathy and Speak and Act Safely at the forefronts of their minds, allowing for a positive and enriching learning journey at St Joseph's College. 

Next term, Rice House will have the opportunity to put the lessons learned from the Swimming Carnival into practice at the College's Cross Country and Athletics Carnival. Mr Moore reflected last term about champion teams and it is timely to remind the House of those words in the lead up to these two events: A champion team will always beat a team of champions. I challenge the students in Rice House to participate and persevere during these events as involvement in College events is what makes the experiences of school memorable and empowering. 

Natasha Digweed - Student Engagement Middle Leader - Rice House (Acting) - NDigweed@sjc.qld.edu.au.

Learning Enhancement

It’s that time of term – assessment is in full swing. Assignments are due and exams are popping up here, there and everywhere. Students might be feeling stressed or nervous, and that is absolutely normal. Worrying about completing tasks and achieving good results means that those things are important to them.

Some signs that your child might be feeling stressed include moodiness, lack of motivation, difficulties making decisions, muscle tension, headaches and restlessness. Stress can be external – pressure to perform from home or teachers, or internal – worrying about failing, wanting to do well or struggling to understand the subject matter. Either way, battling assessment stress can be tough.

So what can parents and carers do to help? ReachOut recommends:

• letting your child know that you are there to help
• taking time out to talk and do something fun with them
• helping them to choose the right foods and get enough sleep and exercise
• understanding that taking a break, even some social time, is a great way to refocus thoughts and energy
• relaxation techniques like Smiling Mind or ReachOut Breathe.

Students can also do some simple things to improve their organisation and study habits:

• make a study timetable that includes your other commitments, and take into consideration what time of day you study best (do the harder subjects first)
• set up a designated space with all your requirements in one place, and minimal distractions (put the phone away)
• use different coloured highlighters or paper or pens for each subject to help your brain organise information
• try different techniques such as rephrasing the material, teaching it to someone else, quizzing yourself with flashcards and making your own mindmaps.
• don’t forget to set small goals and reward yourself for reaching them.

* Remember, your teachers are here to help. Come along to tutorials or homework club and make the most of your opportunity to ask questions and collaborate with other students too.

Karyn Morrison - Learning Support Teacher - KMorrison@sjc.qld.edu.au

Cultural

Year 12 Music Leader Badges

On assembly this week, we had the opportunity to acknowledge the commitment and participation of our Year 12 co-curricular music ensemble students and for them to be presented with St Joseph’s College Music Leader Badges for 2022.

These students give generously of their time and talents to not only the music department but contribute to and enrich many events for the whole College and wider community. The year 12 music students are valuable role models for the younger students in our ensembles and are commended for their dedication and leadership.

Year 12 students who received a Music Leader Badge:

Photo to include please: Year 12 music badge recipients on Assembly

Rosanne Pietsch - Program Middle Leader - Performance - RPietsch@sjc.qld.edu.au

Sport

QUEENSLAND SECONDARY STATE CHAMPSIONSHIPS

Basketball

Congratulations to Rebecca (Year 10) for her performance at the recent state championships for Basketball. Rebecca is at the free throw line in this photo and was part of the Open Girls Darling Downs team.

Rebecca and the Darling Downs team placed 9th overall!

Hockey

Congratulations to the Under 19 Darling Downs Men’s Hockey Team who won a silver medal in the recent Queensland Schools State Championships. Well done to Hamish Speed and Will Suey.

Touch

The Open Boys and Girls Touch were postponed from earlier in the year because of rain and flooding and were held last week in Townsville. We are proud to announce that Blaise Prendergast was announced in the Queensland team and Bailey Deakin announced as a shadow player for the team. This is fantastic news for both boys and being Year 11, they still have another opportunity next year to be in the team. 

Softball

Congratulations to Bridie Nicol who has been selected in the Under 16 Australian squad after the National titles last month. 

Bill Turner Cup

The girls under 15 Bill Turner side played their semi-final game against St Ursula’s last Tuesday, here at St Joseph’s.  It was cold and very windy, but the girls overcame these distractions by putting in a strong performance winning the game 8 goals to 1. We will now play Harristown State High School to see who takes out the title.

Ethan Stagg did a magnificent job running the middle for us and keeping everyone under control. We thank him sincerely for his time and effort.                                                                                                                

Karyn Murphy Cup

Last Friday the College had many keen young ladies participate in the Karyn Murphy Rugby League Carnival held at Highfields. We had a Year 8 team as the girls in Year 7 had to miss out as they were on camp. The Year 9 girls were runners up in their division on the day.

The junior students were coached and mentored by Mr Cullen. We look forward to seeing these standards continue with the sport and go on to represent the College at the Confraternity carnivals.

The Open Girls coached and mentored by Mr Moore, were mainly the Confraternity team having their first strong game before we travel away in early July.

Some of these girls are part of the Fitlab program increasing their strength and conditioning for themselves and their sport.

A huge thank you to Mr Cullen, Mr Canning, Mr Moore and Mrs Hensler for travelling out with the girls and allowing them to enjoy a carnival day like this.

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SWQ Schools Touch Football Swans Cup

South-West Queensland Touch Association is proud to announce the first Swans Schools Cup starting, Week 2, Term 3 on the 18th July 2022.

The Swans Schools Cup is a Monday afternoon schools only competition, held at Kearney Springs Touch Fields where a canteen will be running. It is a 6-week competition, running from Week 2 to Week 7, fitting in the school term. The competition is held after school, with timeslots of 4.15pm, 5:00pm and 5:45pm.

The age divisions offered match the Queensland All Schools offerings - Primary Boys, Primary Girls. Secondary Under 13, 15 and 18s, both Boys & Girls (provided there is adequate nominations across all divisions).

An introductory price of $400 for Team Registration for this competition. We are allowing a maximum of 14 players per team which equates to less than $5 per student per week for 6 weeks of games!

Students interested need to see Miss Newton or email her on dnewton@sjc.qld.edu.au. This competition would be very suitable for students going to All Schools later in the year.

Debbie Newtown - Program Leader - Sport - DNewton@sjc.qld.edu.au

Career Pathways

Work Experience & SJC Alumni 

Remember a few weeks ago when our Year 10 students participated in work experience?

Year 10 student Jason completed his work experience at R & O Communications

!R & O Communications are a special company to the St Joseph's College Community with Director Bruce being a SJC Alum of 1986! Bruce also has Bridie, SJC Alum of 2021 and Fin, SJC Alum of 2017 working within the team! (Pictured below)

Jason enjoyed the familiarity of working with ex-St Joseph's students.

Jason said "I enjoyed the variety of the role, learning about communications systems, and understanding how to install them"

Thank you Bruce, and the team at R&O Communications for your support of the Year 10 Work Experience Program!

If your business would like to welcome St Joseph’s Students on for work experience placements, please contact the Careers team at careers@sjc.qld.edu.au

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Morgan Janke for recently signing a school-based apprenticeship and undertaking a Certificate III in Carpentry. 

QTAC & Tertiary Entry

ATAR Report 2021

The ATAR Report 2021 provides an overview of the calculation of the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) for the 2021 Queensland Year 12 student cohort. The report includes an overview of the 2021 Year 12 cohort, inter-subject scaling and the ATAR. It is not intended to be a comprehensive report or interpretation of the full ATAR results. Further information on how Queensland’s ATARs are calculated may be found on the QTAC website.

English eligibility for ATAR

QTAC, who calculate the individual ATARs, has outlined eligibility requirements students must meet to be awarded an ATAR. Student must have:

• Successful completion of an English subject is a mandatory requirement for the award of an ATAR. Students are required to successfully complete (i.e. be awarded a raw letter grade of “C” or better) in one of the following QCAA English subject offerings: English, English as an Additional Language, Literature, English & Literature Extension or Essential English
• While successful completion of an English subject is a mandatory requirement for ATAR eligibility, there are no other mandatory subject inclusions for the ATAR
• Not all English subjects will meet the English prerequisite requirements for universities and courses. You must check each university’s prerequisites.
• While students must satisfactorily complete an English subject to be eligible for an ATAR, the result in English will only be included in the ATAR calculation if it is one of the student’s best five subject results.
• Only General English subjects or Applied English subjects can be included in a student’s ATAR, but not both (e.g. English and Essential English)

An added note regarding mathematics subjects:

• Only General Mathematics subjects or Applied Mathematics subjects can be included in a student’s ATAR, but not both (e.g. Mathematical Methods and Essential Mathematics)

Tertiary entry questions from current Year 12 students

Q - How do I apply to university for next year?

A. - You apply through QTAC for most Queensland tertiary courses. Applications to tertiary institutions in other states are through tertiary admissions centres similar to QTAC. You apply directly to all other institutions.

Q. - What is QTAC?

A. - The Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) is a public, not-for-profit company that manages the application and offer processes for universities, TAFE Queensland and some private colleges in Queensland (three interstate institutions are also included). QTAC does not make the rules about entry to courses. The institutions make the rules and QTAC administers these rules.

Q. - How many courses can I apply for through QTAC?

A. - You can apply for up to six courses from any of the institutions that use QTAC. You receive only one offer (if you meet the prerequisites and have a competitive ATAR or rank) at any given offer round. Find out more on the Preferences page of the QTAC website.

Q. - How are applicants selected for courses through QTAC?

A. - There are usually more applicants than available places for many of the courses. Selection is based on meeting minimum entry requirements (prerequisite subjects, folio, audition, etc.) and on merit (ATAR or Selection Rank). Once minimum entry requirements are met, applicants compete on the basis of merit for competitive courses.

Q.-What is the difference between undergraduate and postgraduate courses?

A. - The term ‘undergraduate’ is normally applied to diploma, advanced diploma, associate degree and bachelor degree courses. ‘Postgraduate’ usually applies to courses you can study after completing a bachelor degree, e.g. graduate certificate, graduate diploma, masters and doctorate.

What are minimum selection thresholds?

The minimum selection threshold is the minimum adjusted score (ATAR/rank) that was considered for an offer of a course place in the January 2021 offer round. Minimum selection thresholds vary from year to year and from offer round to offer round, depending on the number and quality of applicants a course receives. When planning your preferences, it's important that you check the minimum selection threshold for appropriate preferencing.

Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA)

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) provides State, Catholic and Independent schools with information and support in the areas of curriculum, assessment, reporting, testing and certification from Kindergarten to Year 12.  On their website you can find information specifically for Parents and families including:

• Prep to Year 10
• Parent organisations
• Senior secondary
• Senior secondary FAQs

Literacy and Numeracy requirements for Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) in 2022

To be issued a QCE, students need to accrue the set amount of learning, at the set standard, in a set pattern, while meeting literacy and numeracy requirements. These requirements are aimed at ensuring students complete their senior schooling with the knowledge and skills they need for success in life beyond school. The literacy and numeracy requirements can be met through a range of options. It is important when planning your senior subjects (and throughout your senior studies) that you know and understand the QCE literacy and numeracy requirements and that you choose correctly.

Meeting the literacy standards: you can study QCAA General or Applied English subjects for Unit 1, Unit 2, or a Unit 3 and 4 pair. These subjects include English, English and Literature Extension, English as an Additional Language, Literature and/or Essential English. Click here to see other Literacy options including International Baccalaureate. 

Meeting the numeracy standards: you can study QCAA General or Applied Mathematics subjects for Unit 1, Unit 2, or a Unit 3 and 4 pair. These subjects include General Mathematics, Mathematical Methods, Specialist Mathematics and/or Essential Mathematics. Click here to see other numeracy options including International Baccalaureate. 

School-Based Apprenticeship and Traineeship opportunities

• Certificate III in Hairdressing – John’s Hair Studio, Pittsworth 11 or 12 *New*
• Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care – Toowoomba Catholic Kindergartens and Care –10,11,12 *New*
• Certificate III Business - Pattysmith's *New*
• Certificate III Business - Noodle Box *New*
• Certificate III Business - Send & Pack *New*
• Certificate III Hospitality - The Rock *New*
• Certificate III Hospitality - Café De Velo *New*
• Certificate III Hospitality - Kajoku  *New*
• Certificate III Business - Bakery Cakery *New*
• Certificate III Hospitality - YodThai Restaurant *New*
• Certificate III Commercial Cookery - The Rock *New*
• Certificate III Commercial Cookery - Rak Thai Kitchen *New*
• Certificate III Commercial Cookery - YodThai Restaurant *New*
• Certificate III Commercial Cookery – Kajoku *New*
• Certificate III Business   Pacific Fuels *New*
• Certificate III Business   Crackerjack Chicken *New*
• Certificate III in Business – Zambrero
• Certificate III in Hospitality – Zambrero
• Certificate III in Business – Toowoomba Sports Club
• Certificate III in Hospitality – Toowoomba Sports Club
• School Based Diesel Fitting Apprenticeship – GoldenWest
• Business Administration Traineeship - GoldenWest
• Hospitality (Front/ Back of House Trainee) – GoldenWest

Indigenous School Based Traineeship in Engineering with Harness Energy

• Applicants are required to meet the following selection criteria to be considered:
• Must reside in Toowoomba
• Must not have already attained a Certificate II in Engineering
• Must be vaccinated against COVID 19   
• Have passed Year 10 English, Maths & Science
• Must identify as Indigenous

For more information or to apply, please contact the Careers Team at careers@sjc.qld.edu.au.

Part-time/ Casual work:

• Coles Supermarket Team Members, Sales Assistants in Glenvale, Wilsonton, Toowoomba North and Toowoomba Plaza - Apply here
• The Rock – Several hospitality roles. Email careers@sjc.qld.edu.au with your email to apply
• St Vincent’s Private Hospital  Casual Food Services/ Hospitality (Yr 11 and 12 students only) – Apply here
• BiZgro Bookkeeping For students interested in finance and accounting. 1 to 2 afternoons per week. Email careers@sjc.qld.edu.au with your email to apply
• The Reject Shop Team Member – Apply here
• McDonalds Crew members – Apply here
• Cartoon Camp Assistant (Yr 11 & 12 students) for Saturday, 25 June – Sunday 26 June. Must be aged 17+. Email careers@sjc.qld.edu.au with your email to apply

Upcoming External Events:

For information on upcoming external events, please click the following link:

https://www.sjccareers.com.au/for-students/newsfeed

Don't forget Careers has its own website! https://www.sjccareers.com.au/ 

The Career Pathways Team utilises two platforms to distribute career information, sjccareers.com.au website and Canvas. We invite to visit the sjccareers website.

For more information please contact the Careers Team

Charlotte Penner - Careers Support Officer  -  cpenner@sjc.qld.edu.au

Maree Harman - Career Development Practitioner  -  mharman@sjc.qld.edu.au

Music Excursion

The Senior Music class of Year 11 and students, and one talented Year 10 student enjoyed a trip to Brisbane, Tuesday May 31^st.  They visited St Peter’s Lutheran College, Indooroopilly and absolutely loved the Performing Arts Centre – a dedicated space for the Arts!  The school often hosts national and international musicians.  This time, we were privileged to an Australian Classical and Romantic Orchestra concert with accompanying lecture about how the music relates to the current Senior Music units. The students also helped create a piece of music with internationally-renowned didgeridoo arts, William Barton, who is originally from Mount Isa. The audience were tasked with creating various musical sounds of Australian wildlife.

Megan Scott - Teacher - MScott@sjc.qld.edu.au

Year 9 Debating

The year 2022 saw the full return of the Toowoomba segment of the Queensland Debating Union’s (QDU) competition after two long years of postponement: the ravages of Covid-19 have affected us all in many ways. Our brave heroes, five intrepid year 9 students from the four corners of the College, strode forward to meet the dual call of debating and destiny. With shoulders set and brows furrowed, their eyes shone with determination. None of them were going to let the little fact that they’d never debated at a high school level stop them from stepping up to the challenge.

From the start, though, their inexperience made them stumble. Without knowing exactly what they were getting into, their first opponents from Toowoomba Anglican School, left the audience with certainty in their argument that Australia should indeed become a cashless society.

Undeterred, our heroes regrouped for another shot, the experience of the previous evening etched into their memories. They knew what this whole debating thing was, now. They wouldn’t be caught unawares again. They would be ready.

The next two weeks were a flurry of brainstorming, research, and mock debates.

That’s when disaster struck.

Waylaid – and at the last minute, too – one of the key speakers was forced to withdraw from the fight. Shortly after that, a second team member was similarly detained. With the team dropping like flies the day before the battle was even joined, the final three banded together to present a cracker of an emotional argument as to why charity mugging should be banned. To their horror and dismay (and against all reason), Fairholme College came out just on top on the technicality of presenting more ‘facts’. It was a close one, but our heroes weren’t there yet.

But they were not thwarted. To get so close. To come so far. No, they would not give up. They could see victory now. They could taste it.

After a long relaxing holiday, and a postponement of the third round for Resilience Training (year 9 camp), our heroes returned once again for round four.

The second team from Toowoomba Anglican School didn’t stand a chance.

With a calm dignity and a barely contained fury, our heroes routed their enemy with a flourish of fact, feeling, and refutation that left their opponents on their knees, acknowledging without a doubt that cities should be built up instead of out.

With victory in hand, our heroes returned triumphant. Finally, a win under their belt, and against a powerhouse challenger. There were celebrations all ‘round – I even have it on good authority there was ice-cream involved. Would it be too much for them to ask for a second, similar success?

Tension suffused the heroes when, one week later, they gathered on the darkened slopes of the Grammar School, a cold wind cutting through cloth and resolve alike. Despite their earlier victory, they were not immortal. They remembered that then, waiting in the dull amber glow of the singular overhead lamp.

They shivered, with nerves or the cold or both. No one really knew which. 

It seemed like hours that they waited and shivered, until the coordinator arrived to distribute the information. And it was literally another hour in isolation when the team were sequestered in a separate space to soundly sequence a short prep speech with just their brains, a wristwatch, and a single, unmarked dictionary.

But then, without a stutter, the team stepped forward, brimming with confidence. They took their seats. They patiently awaited their fate. They would win this.

Wouldn’t they?

The first speaker for the affirmative team stepped forward, a smile on her face, and smoothed her blue and red tartan skirt.

“Tonight, the affirmative team will leave you without a doubt that it is infinitely better to be an only child than it is to have siblings…”

Her voice carried, brimming with confidence, across the room. And she spoke. At length. About the same arguments. She must have been certain of her points because she repeated them at least three times. Our heroes were not cowed, even if they were a little taken aback. Furiously scribbling and passing notes, they stepped up to the charge, ready to take the bull by the horns and stop it in its tracks.

“The first speaker of the affirmative team has tried to tell you that being an only child is better than having siblings. But she is undeniably wrong in this assertion.”

The ground would be regained. Our heroes’ arguments sprinkled over the silent and appreciative audience, expounding upon the issues of isolation and the benefits of brothers and sisters. But then she stumbled. She couldn’t read one of the words on the palm card. Written in haste, it was almost illegible.

Quickly gathering her wits, she made the decision to move on and discarded the offending card, finishing her presentation with confidence and flair. 

“It’s good for us. It’s good for them. It’s good for society.”

She’d held her ground. The heroes wouldn’t go down so easily. With relief and satisfaction, she returned to her seat and the encouraging smiles of her companions.

But the battle was not yet over.

“I now call upon the second speaker of the affirmative team.”

The audience clapped politely, malleable, ready to be swayed. The second speaker stepped forward.

She presented a similarly mannered argument, albeit repetitive. The crowd was not convinced, but they clapped encouragingly as she departed. Our heroes would not give in.

If you did not know any of the many values of siblings walking into that room, you certainly would have known most of them by the time our second speaker stepped down from the floor, if not all. With a small nod and a satisfied smile, she returned to her seat, waiting.

It was down to the third speakers now.

“The negative team has tried to convince you that…”

Tried was an understatement.

Finishing well short of the allotted time, the third speaker for the affirmative team, having been unable to counter the myriad arguments our heroes had so far presented, stepped down.

It was time for the final speaker.

Expectation suffused the room. The atmosphere was thick with it. Our final speaker certainly felt it. How could you not?

Yet he stepped forward, and delivered. Despite a stammer or two, he delivered his rebuttal and closing statements with more confidence and clarity than he’d given that entire season. He would not back down. He would not give in. He fought to the end.

The audience clapped as he closed the debate and returned to his seat with a relieved sigh. The tension fled the room and both teams visibly relaxed: it was done.

 The adjudicator stood up, the year 11 student calling awkwardly for the attention of both the teams and the audience.

“Tonight was a really great debate.”

They always said that. Nonetheless, the room was gripped by silence. All eyes were on the adjudicator.

“It was incredibly close and it really came down to a difference of only a couple of points.”

 The teams leaned forward. Everyone stared. No one breathed.

“Tonight, I’ve decided to award the debate to…”

One of our heroes closed their eyes.

“The affirmative team!”

The audience clapped politely. Our heroes smiled, pained.

They’d lost.

“A valid choice,” said our second speaker. “It was fun, though. Maybe we can try again next year?” 

The heroes grinned at one another.

Adam Watts - Teacher - AWatts@sjc.qld.edu.a

International Arts Education Week

How we celebrate Arts Education at SJC

During Week 6 of Term 2, the Arts Department facilitated a week full of art activities and events to engage the whole college in International Arts Education Week (23-27 May). This international event was started in 2012 by a worldwide organisation called The World Alliance for Arts Education. The week celebrates the diversity of arts education by fostering and transforming humanity. It aims to increase the community’s awareness of the importance of arts education by promoting cultural diversity, and how we communicate issues and viewpoints when connecting socially within the community. 

The aim was to make the Arts accessible to all students, starting with activities during the Joey’s Way curriculum. We challenged the notion of: “I can’t even draw a stick figure” through a game of Pictionary; encouraged friendly competition through a game of Kahoot guessing Musicals; engaged students to learn a beat using their body (hands) and a simple prop (cup) to create music, and got them to think critically about skills while exploring careers to discover where the Arts might link, for example, an electrician is needed in the Theatre.

Lunch times were open to participation for practical workshops such as learning a dance routine; being part of a Mission activity by making a hand print on a collaborative banner to show solidarity for peace (the theme this year was Arts Education for Peace); by being an audience and watching a collection of theatre and musical ‘behind the scenes’ clips; getting their face painted; being part of the easel free draw; showcasing their talent by playing an instrument or singing; participating in charades; joining in on the STEAM activity or being part of the conversation wall that questioned: Where have you seen the Arts being used in the world or in your community to advocate for Peace?   

Overall the week was well received with feedback from students saying they had fun and enjoyed the activities. Read some testimonials from the students:

“It enriched me because I was terrified of performing at the [music] jam session, but I did really well. I'm glad I did it, I learned some confidence.”

“I participated in the easel drawing and it enriched school for me by giving me an opportunity to draw just for fun.”

“They were incredibly fun and enjoyable and allowed you to engage with your peers.”

“I loved how we could express our own abilities and display them in a cool way that everyone could participate in.”

Thank you to all the staff involved in helping put this event together, and our amazingly dedicated Arts team that made this week a success by contributing their time to put on activities for our students’ enjoyment.

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Christine Dwyer - Curriculum Leader - Arts - CDwyer@sjc.qld.edu.au

Library News

Premiers Reading Challenge has begun!

The library is delighted to invite all students to join in the 2022 Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC).

The PRC encourages students to develop a love of reading for life. Students are encouraged to select a range of fiction and non-fiction books suited to their reading ability and record books read during the reading period, between 9 May to 26 August. 

Books can include shared reading, audio books, eBooks, hard copy books.

To complete the challenge:

• Years 5 to 9 must read at least 15 books.

Textbooks

Just a reminder to students that they can access all of their textbooks online just by clicking the Box of Books picture on the Library Website:

SJC - Community News

Our Parent Business Directory has begun and you may see some of our parents business in our coloum beside our newsletter! We would like to include more businesses. If you would like to be featured please send through any deatils and/or business graphics to: marketing@sjc.qld.edu.au

South Toowoomba AFC Raffle

CSPQ Parent Engagement Day Toowoomba

Catholic School Parents Queensland are holding a Parent Engagement Day on Saturday 18^th June at St Mary’s College, Toowoomba and we are encouraging as many parents and staff to attend.  

Arts Opportunities

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Mashed Theatre & Films: School Holiday Actor's Intensive Week!

These June/July Holidays, Mashed Theatre & Films is hosting Acting Workshops for young people aged between 6 & 18 years old. Our School Holiday Workshops provide young actors the opportunity to work with one of Queensland’s leading and fastest growing theatre & film companies. They will learn a multitude of different styles, forms and disciplines from our professional actors and guest appearances in both the theatre and film industry.

Mashed Theatre & Films is a leading company in the creative arts in Australia, with our in school touring company performing shows to over 100 schools around Queensland, Northern Territory and Northern New South Wales annually and our film team currently in pre-production of 2 original feature length Australian films. Throughout the week our students will be introduced to a variety of industry professionals from Musical Theatre to Film & Television; one actor in our previous workshops also received a role in an upcoming feature film set to hit film festival circuits in 3 months.

5 DAY ACTORS INTENSIVE

Ages: 13-18

For our determined actors! This 5 day intensive has participants delve into intermediate and advanced acting techniques, theatre styles and forms, and prepare them to work in the film and theatre industry. Our professional actors will inspire young people to get their creative juices flowing and learn key skills to encourage their growth inside and outside of the intensive.

What We'll Tackle!

• Shakespeare & Classical Theatre
• Physical Theatre (Meyerhold & Butoh)
• Realism & Organic Acting
• Character Work & Accents
• Acting for Camera
• Musical Theatre
• Clowning & Slapstick
• Monologues & Auditions

Further Details!

• Starts: Monday, 4th July, 2022
• Ends: Friday, 8th July, 2022
• Time: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
• Where: Mashed Theatre & Films Studio, 1/625 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba, 4350
• Price: $250.00

For further information head to our enrollments page HERE. We'd really appreciate you sharing this with your students.

Uniform Shop

Now the weather is cooling down don’t forget your winter uniform supplies.

All winter stock is available for purchase including:

• Boys Long Sleeve Shirts
• Boys and Girls Long Trousers/Pants
• Girls Tights and Stockings
• Scarfs
• Jumper
• Tracksuit Jacket and Pants
• Blazers

New Stock:

• Football Shorts $30
• Football Socks $10
• Training Shirts $35
• Hat bands for formal boys and girls hats  $12.00.

Out of Stock:

• Girls Sport Shorts Size Large
• Senior Girls Formal Blouse Size 16
• Junior Girls Formal Blouse Size 10
• Junior Boys Formal Shirt Size 22

The Uniform shop will be closed for Stocktake on 23^rd June, 2022.

Throughout the school term our opening hours are:

Tuesday                           8.00 am - 12.00 pm

Wednesday                   8.00 am - 4.00 pm

Thursday                        8.00 am - 12.00 pm

You are welcome to purchase from the online uniform shop at your convenience and your order will be filled when the store is next open.

EFTPOS only - No Cash accepted until further notice.

Online orders can be placed anytime and will be packed and ready for collection from our store during our open hours.

During the school terms we can deliver your parcel up to student entrance on our trading days for your child to collect from there.  Home delivery is also available for online orders at a cost.

Ordering Online Process

www.midford.com.au     pass phrase StJC1956

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.