Newsletter - Term 1 - Week 8 - Issue 100

From the Principal

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students

Parent Engagement in Schools

St Joseph’s College greatly values parents and caregivers who work in collaboration with our teachers to support each of our students as they strive to achieve their potential. However, we also understand that it can be quite daunting for parents and caregivers to initially engage with the secondary school environment. 

To build our partnerships with families St Joseph’s College welcomes all families to be part of our Parent Engagement Network. Our date claimers for our PEN sessions for the remainder of the year are outlined below, with an additional date for a special session for our Year 11 Students and Parents on Leadership and Formation in the senior years. We hope that many of our families will be able to join us on this occasion.

Term 2 - 2nd May 2023

6.30pm – 7.00pm – Welcome and social gathering

7.00 – 8.00pm – Teen Mental Health First Aid – St Joseph's College Toowoomba Program

Presenters; Shauna Green, Cathy Condon

We will also be running a session for Year 11 parents in Term 2 - Week 8 - June 6 – 6.00pm – Leadership and Student Formation – Presenters; Joe Cryle, Kellie-Marie Ford and Cath Barton

Term 3 – 18th July 2023

6.30pm – 7.00pm – Welcome and social gathering

7.00 – 8.00pm – Passions and Pathways – St Joseph's College Toowoomba Formation, Curriculum and Careers Session – Presenters; Kellie-Marie Ford, Kerrie-Anne Fellenberg, Karen Tobin & Bill Whiting

Term 4 – 10th October 2023

6.30pm – 7.00pm – Welcome and social gathering

7.00 – 8.00pm – Joey’s Way Curriculum – Presenter Joe Cryle

A reminder also that we have parent/student/teacher interview sessions scheduled for Wednesday June 19 from 1.50 – 6.00pm. 

Professional Renewal Leave

I would like to inform the community that I will be absent from the College for Weeks 1 – 7 next term. During this time, I will be taking professional renewal leave and completing the Camino de Santiago along with two other Principals from the Toowoomba Diocese. 

Whilst I am on leave the following people will be undertaking the following roles:

Acting Principal – Mr Brendon Willocks

Acting Deputy Principal – Mr Joe Cryle

Acting Assistant Principal Student Engagement – Mr Luke Logan

Acting Brennan House Leader – Mrs Elle Moss

I thank these people for their willingness to undertake these roles during my period of leave and I thank the College community in anticipation of their support of these wonderful people.

Grit

This week, as our students continue to work on assignments and head into exams, we pray for the students at St Joseph’s College, that they may have the same belief in themselves that we the staff have in them. We hope that they take a positive and gritty mindset into their lessons and assessment, believing that they are capable of learning and improving each and every day.

Some parents may remember that last year I shared the TED talk below which is presented by Angela Lee Duckworth who in her late 20s left a demanding job as a management consultant to teach maths in public schools in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and New York. After five years of teaching seventh graders, she went back to university to complete her Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is now an assistant professor in the psychology department. Her research subjects include students, West Point cadets, and corporate salespeople, all of whom she studies to determine how "grit" is a better indicator of success than factors such as IQ or family income. It is approximately a six-minute segment and is well worth watching for parents and caregivers.

Watch here.

Catholic School Parents Queensland Survey

The Catholic School Parents Association have been asked by the Australian Government to prepare a submission for the current inquiry into disruption in Australian school classrooms. In order to inform their submission CSPA has asked that we share the short survey with you.

Complete the survey here.

Parent Perception Survey 2023

Another survey I wish to draw your attention to is QCEC's Parent Perception Survey for 2023. 

The Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC) is conducting an important survey with parents and carers about the Catholic education system in Queensland. QCEC would appreciate your feedback via a short online survey to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence families in choosing a Catholic school. QCEC are working with Market & Communications Research and the Online Research Unit to compile feedback. You can complete the survey online by clicking on the link below. All responses are anonymous. Thank you for your contribution.

Complete the survery here.

Lenten Season

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, and eating together in the playground – I have to smile and thank God for each child He has placed in our school. 

Since the start of the year, our students and teachers have shared their time, gifts and talents with each other, ensuring that the beginning of the year has been as smooth and anxiety-free as it can be. 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 all members of our College community 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.

Best wishes.

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

From the Deputy Principal

The Partnership Triad

The parent-teacher-student triad is an essential relationship in education, especially in today's information-rich world. Patience, kindness, and trust are the foundation of this partnership and bond. Although our contemporary society is becoming increasingly complex, the relational foundations of education must remain. As adults, we must keep our young people at the forefront in this partnership and triad. The triad is in full swing during assessment season, and it's best when there is an even sharing and appreciation of patience, kindness, and trust among all parties involved. I would like to thank all parents for their ongoing support of the College as we all strive to work together in partnership for the best outcomes for our young people. 

Importance of Reading

The benefits of reading are clear, not only for the improvement of English, as it is apparent that it helps improve all subjects, including Mathematics and Science. The benefits of seeing different perspectives, coupled with improved vocabulary, better awareness of the purpose and structure of writing, as well as a better grip on different types of writing make for stronger learning.

The following article details some practical ways to help your teenager engage or re-engage with reading:

Preparing for Exams

By now each and every young person at St Joseph’s College would have an established routine and study schedule. By planning small and regular reviews of content, students can “overcome the forgetting curve” and use important information more readily:

This is particularly important for Mathematics – where students often forget how to attack certain problems they did earlier in the term.

It is important that students are continually trying to turn around the effects of the ‘curve’. This can be achieved through regular practice and revision. Below are a couple of tips that may help to direct your study over the next week.

Complete practice questions

Use your textbook, Canvas courses site, previous in-class questions or worksheets and revision quizzes to apply your knowledge. As you revise further, try and complete each question in an allocated period of time e.g. 1 minute per multiple-choice question or an introductory paragraph in 5 minutes. This will help you to perform under time pressure which is what happens when you reach the exam day.

Whip up some flashcards

A good use of your time is writing flashcards. These are valuable because they force you to condense information to fit in a small area. Making flashcards means that all the information is in front of you, so you don’t have to waste time looking through a giant stack of notes.

You can put questions on one side of the flashcard and answers on the other. You can draw miniature diagrams as well, such as the water cycle for Geography or a distillation set-up for Chemistry. Flashcards are particularly good for writing out facts or quotes that you need to drill into your head. It’s also wise to make them short, since there’s no use trying to commit paragraphs to memory.

Clear your head

Clear your head because clarity of thought will let you think rationally. If you are panicked, in revision or in the exam, then it will show in your work. Go for a run, play basketball, practice the piano or help your parents cook dinner and clear your head. Focus on what is in front of you rather than worrying about everything at once.

Upcoming Events

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

From the Assistant Principal - Curriculum

Parent – Teacher – Student Conferences : Term 2

Date Claimer: As per the College Calendar, these conferences will occur on Wednesday 19 April from 1.50pm to 6pm. 

Further details will be emailed to families at the end of Term 1 with instructions on how to book appointments through the Parent Portal.

Report Cards

All Year 11 and 12 parents and carers have been sent an email indicating that their report cards are available in the Parent Portal for viewing. For Year 12, please note that General Subjects have completed their first Internal Assessment and the result is unconfirmed and provisional until it has gone through the QCAA confirmation process in Term 2.

Report cards for Year 11 and 12 will be republished on the Parent Portal to update your child’s attendance for Term 1.  

Years 7 – 10 will receive their Interim report cards at the end of the term and these will be accessible on the parent portal and an email will be sent notifying you of when they are published.

Assessment Calendars

A reminder that students and parents have received a copy of the Semester One Assessment Calendar for 2023 earlier in the term. If your child is involved in SBA’s or TAFE or other external courses, they are expected to attend school for all examinations here at the College on the day it is scheduled.

Assessment Calendars can also be located on the College Intranet (for students) and on the College Website here.

If you have any questions about assessment, please contact your child's classroom teacher or Curriculum Leader.

St Joseph’s College is responsible for gathering evidence of student achievement on or before the due date for internal assessment instruments.

All students have electronic access to their assessment schedules and it is their responsibility to adhere to these due dates.

Students are responsible for planning and managing their time to meet the due dates.

Students and parents can contact teachers and Middle Leaders via Phoning or emailing to help with communication. Teachers are not able to grant extensions directly with students and parents/carers.

St Joseph’s College is required to adhere to QCAA policies about due dates accepting assignments only on or before the due date unless an extension through AARA processes has been approved. For example, a student who is absent due to family holidays will not be granted an extension for an assignment as this doesn’t meet the AARA guidelines set by QCAA.

Academic Support

Each Thursday afternoon from 3.15pm – 4.15pm Academic support occurs in the College Seminar Rooms.

Teachers may request students attend these sessions if they have not met expectations at checkpoints or drafts for assignments.

This time is an opportunity for students to complete work and receive assistance if required.  

Knitting & Crochet Club

Thank you to all the students who have been attending knitting club on a Thursday lunch time in the library. It’s been so popular that we have extended it to Monday lunch times. If you have any old wool or needles you would like to donate to the College we would greatly appreciate it. We are hoping to learn how to knit and then be able to start creating pieces to donate to charity.

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

From the Assistant Principal - Student Engagement

At St Joseph’s College, the safety of all of our students must be our first priority. While we are a school, and learning is our core business, nobody can learn effectively if they are not safety. Our concern for our students’ safety takes many forms including safeguarding initiatives, our Joey’s Way Curriculum that focusses on the Personal and Social Capabilities as set out the Australian Curriculum. 

No activity poses a greater threat to our safety than driving a vehicle. Statistically people, especially young people, are much more likely to be seriously injured in a vehicle than through any other activity. While the College has limited control over the habits of our student drivers, we do have a responsibility to maximise their safety when driving to school and in the student carpark. 

From the commencement of Term 2, any student wishing to use the student carpark to park their own vehicle will require a St Joseph’s College Parking Permit. In order to obtain a parking permit students must submit the relevant paperwork to the office. The College has the following expectations of our student drivers: 

1. This parking permit entitles a student to park in the College carpark unless it is closed for another reason (e.g. rain) for the duration of the 2023 academic year. 

2. Students are required to wear full and correct uniform to school, including while driving. Alternatively, students may change completely out of uniform to travel home. 

3. When students arrive at school, they must exit the carpark immediately and go to class. When departing, students must go straight to their own vehicle and exit the carpark immediately, and cannot loiter in the carpark.   

4. Students must drive safely at all times, especially around the College.   

5. Students are not permitted to carry any passengers other than those nominated on their driver permission forms.    

6. If a students fails to meet these expectations, parking permission may be revoked or removed altogether.       

If you have any questions about this process, please contact the College. 

Thank you in anticipation of your partnership as we maximise the safety of all our students.  

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

From the Assistant Principal - Religious Education

Joey’s Way Student-Led Formation Lesson

In last week’s newsletter, our Mission Captains shared their goals for their 2023 leadership. One key goal was increasing student participation in our liturgical celebrations.  

They determined that a challenge for many students in being fully active in their participation was their nervousness and lack of understanding. At times, it must feel very daunting to join a community and not be familiar with their customs and rituals.  

Therefore, the Year 12 Liturgy Group designed a lesson for Joey's Way groups that explained the ‘dos and don’ts’ of participating in the mass. And to make this more meaningful, they called upon a team of 45 students – made up of our College Captains, Year 11 and Year 12 Liturgy groups.  
At the College, we aspire to be an inclusive community. In our celebration of the Eucharist, we invited every member of our community to come forward to either receive the host or a blessing. For us, the action of coming to the table together is richly symbolic of the unity within diversity that we want to create. We recognise that many of our students do not come from Catholic backgrounds, but they are equally as important in our celebration, and we are privileged with the opportunity to bless these students and entrust them to God’s care.  

In their Joey's Way lesson, students practiced the movements of communion to feel more comfortable. They also had the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the meaning behind these actions and the dos and don’ts.  

I am incredibly grateful to have such a large group of students eager to lead and teach about the meaning of mass. The Year 11 and 12 students took on this teaching role passionately and were committed to sharing what they have learnt at St Joseph’s with the whole community. They made efforts to reassure the students in JW classes that they are welcome and their participation in our masses is highly valued. I look forward to utilising the leadership of these students again in the future.  

Prayers of the Community

Written by Year 11 Students for our Feast of St Joseph Mass

St Joseph courageously accepted the challenging situation he was called to be God. He unconditionally spread his arms around Mary and Jesus and sheltered them. May we too discover the wisdom and courage to show unconditional respect to everyone.

Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for the students, parents and staff of all Toowoomba Catholic Schools, especially those that share their inspiration from St Joseph - St Joseph’s, Tara and St Joseph’s, Stanthorpe.

We pray that all in these schools continue to be guided to live with Jesus in their hearts and are inspired to take action to fulfil Jesus’ mission in the world.

Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for the students, parents and staff of  our College.
May we all be embraced by your support during times of stress. We prayer that our community can feel proud of their growth and application as they approach exams and assessment.

Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for those who have lost loved ones in recent disasters in Turkiye, Syria, New Zealand and around the world.

May those that are offering support and working in recovery efforts be strengthened as they serve others.

Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

We pray for all of us who are contributing to the Compassion Cup. May we successful spread awareness and inspire generous giving to create change in the world.

We pray that Caritas Australia can continue to make a difference in the lives of those who need it.

Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Harmony Week

Harmony Day at St Joseph’s - Tuesday 21 March

Alongside our Feast of St Joseph celebrations on Tuesday 21 March, we will also mark Harmony Day with a lunchtime marketplace of foods and entertainment.

Celebrating diversity is an important imperative at the College and we are committed to ensuring our community recognises the valuable contributions of each culture and background. We begin our dialogue with the sharing of food and music, but from this starting point our students can begin to learn more about each other’s cultures, history and the challenges in our society.

We are really lucky to have the following stalls at our multicultural market:

• Indian food – provided by the Shinde family
• Sudanese food – provided by the Ayuel
• Sushi – provided by Daniel Ooi and his band of Year 11 students
• An Aussie BBQ – provided by Mr Canning and Student Leaders
• Musical performances – organised by Interact and the Cultural Captains
• A Close the Gap stall where students can learn more about the importance of the Close the Gap campaign and show their solidarity by signing a petition – organised by our First Nations Student Voice Group.

Reflecting on Harmony Week with your child

Harmony Week is celebration held annually in March across Australia. It’s aimed at promoting diversity, respect and inclusiveness. This event is an excellent opportunity for parents to teach their children about different cultures, traditions and customs. The goal is to encourage everyone to appreciate and celebrate differences and promote a sense of community and belonging for everyone.

During Harmony Week, there are a number of events and activities held to bring people from different cultures together. These activities include multicultural food festivals, cultural performances, art exhibitions and workshops. Participating in these events helps children to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diverse communities that make up Australia.

As a parent, you can engage your children in discussions about multiculturalism and encouraging them to ask questions. Promoting a more harmonious and inclusive society, can help children grow up with a greater appreciation for the richness and diversity of Australia's cultural landscape.

This Special Report hopes to instil positive values and create an opportunity to start a conversation with your child about understanding diversity and multiculturalism. We hope you take a moment to reflect on the information offered, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you, a loved one or the wellbeing of your child, please consider seeking medical or professional help.

View the Special Report here.

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

Brennan Captains

Our Brennan Motto is ‘Care for Everybody’. Last year's Brennan Captains bought in Care for Everybody week. We hope to be continuing this year and extending on last year. We hope to be supporting four Toowoomba-based support groups.  These will include Hope Horizons, Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement, Domestic Violence Action Centre and Choice, Passion, Life Toowoomba (CPL).

Following the Brennan Motto of ‘Care for Everyone’, Brennan will be continuing its newfound tradition of Wear It Purple Day. This day symbolises the College's support for members of the LGBTQ+ Community. All money raised on this day goes to the Wear it Purple Foundation which is a volunteer organisation that aims to provide resources, training and educational tools need to raise awareness for the LGBTQ+ members of our community. Brennan as well as the college is very proud of the support received by students last year and can’t wait to see how much we can raise this year.

In Week 3, our swimming carnival was held. The theme for this year's swimming carnival was "under the sea". We were very proud to see a lot of purple mermaids, jellyfish and submarines walking around. While Brennan might have come third overall, we could easily say that we were definitely one of the loudest and most supportive houses at the carnival. We can proudly say that Brennan had a large number of students either placing or winning their age group. 

In Week 6 we took a different approach to our house meetings and wanted to get house members more engaged by hosting a minute-to-win-it game. We created an internal competition between the Joey’s Way groups in Brennan. We took the well-known cup stack challenge and added a twist. Students were to pair up (two representatives from each JW) and were to stack a tower of 10 cups in under a minute but they could only use one arm each to stack the tower. In round one this involved the JW groups Brennan 1- Brennan 5, the winners were Brennan 4. In round two this included the JW groups Brennan 6- Brennan 10, the winners of round 2 were Brennan 6. In the final round, Brennan 4 went up against Brennan 6 and the grand champions were Brennan 6.

For International Women’s Day, we supported Interact with their breast cancer campaign and took part in a house vs house cricket game. Brennan had a little team get involved mixed with a few McAuley students and went up against Murphy house. We unfortunately lost. We are very proud of the involvement in the game in raising awareness for breast cancer and having a fun time.

2023 Brennan Captains - Abigayle Head and Georgia Hansen

Literacy

Subject Discipline Literacy Training: 

Subject Discipline Literacy is a framework that prioritises literacy in all subjects or disciplines, rather than just English. This term saw the initial rollout of the TCSO-led training initiative which aims to upskill teachers as well as provide them with the necessary skills to implement strategies in class with students.

The first group of staff from St Joseph’s to be trained were Emma Chalmers, Chrissy Dwyer, Andrew Fellenberg, Kerrie-Anne Fellenberg and Kellie-Marie Ford.

The training entails four days of being immersed in the logic behind the course and of engaging with a variety of strategies to assist students to both comprehend and create texts. There is a strong focus on creating teaching and learning cycles that facilitate literacy improvement through a gradual release of responsibility: from modelling and deconstruction to co-construction to independent construction.

There is also an emphasis on grammar and some great activities to assist students and staff to better understand the more technical aspects of language.

Although still in its infancy, SDL is an exciting space to work in and we are looking forward to seeing the benefits as more staff are trained into the future. The success of the training will play a vital role in ensuring improved student outcomes across all learning areas.

"The training has provided a good refresher of literacy in an accessible way, with practical activities we can take back into the classroom. Once most staff are trained, I can see this working well for a collective language and approach being used which will in turn lift all our students." - Chrissy Dwyer, Curriculum Leader - The Arts.

"Subject disciplinary literacy in mathematics refers to the ability of students to read, write, and communicate effectively in the language of mathematics. The course we have been priviledged to be involved with the Toowoomba Catholic Schools office under the expertise and  guidance of our Literacy Coach – Mrs Jacqueline Dignon and TCSO Officer – Mrs Jo Tooley has helped me develop my skills in literacy for the maths classroom.

Developing these skills for students studying maths has a number of benefits including:

1. Improved Understanding: Students who develop disciplinary literacy in mathematics are better able to understand complex concepts and apply mathematical reasoning to solve problems.
2. Improved Communication: Effective communication is critical in mathematics, and students who develop disciplinary literacy in this subject are better able to explain their reasoning, strategies, and solutions.
3. Improved Results: Students who are proficient in disciplinary literacy in mathematics tend to perform better on their PSMT (Problem solving and modelling tasks) and examinations, as they are better able to understand the language and structure of test questions and the problems being asked.
4. Improved Critical Thinking: Developing disciplinary literacy in mathematics helps students develop critical thinking skills, as they learn to analyze, evaluate, and interpret mathematical information.

I can highly recommend the Subject Disciplinary Literacy course and look forward to working with Jacqui, the Curriculum leaders and teachers at our school as we continue on our journey of improving literacy skills not only in English but across all our disciplines." - Kerrie-Anne Fellenberg, Assistant Principal - Curriculum

"I am really excited about the potential of implementing Subject Discipline Literacies across the whole of the College. It provides a shared approach to improving student responses that will allow our learners to develop and transfer skills across all subject areas. The implementation of SDL will empower teachers to explicitly teach language skills and enable them to hold high expectations around student communication (both written and spoken) and subject-specific assessment literacy." - Kellie-Marie Ford, Assistant Principal Religious Education.

"The course gave me a theoretically grounded and pedagogically sound framework for shaping teaching in Humanities and Commerce. It taught me valuable new skills, and reinforced many which I am currently using in my classrooms. It also brought attention to the ways language works in the disciplinary discourses that our children are being apprenticed into through schooling. I found it thoroughly enjoyable and challenging and feel I am now better equipped to lead my department literacy-wise." - Andrew Fellenberg, Curriculum Leader - Humanities & Commerce

Jacqueline Dignon - Literacy Learning Leader  -  jdignon@sjc.qld.edu.au

Rice House

A lot has been happening in Rice house in Term 1 2023, we welcomed all 53 new students to our House. Along with welcoming back Mrs Dilki Balalla to her role as the JW teacher for Rice 3.  

This year we have a new initiative within Rice House called the Waterford Challenge. Which is an inter-JW competition that will encompass numerous events and challenges throughout the year.  

The winning JW of the perpetual Waterford Challenge Trophy will be the JW with the highest number of points by the final house assembly in Term 4 when we bid farewell to our Year 12’s.  

Events and challenges so far have included attendance at the swimming carnival, a memory quiz to align with our executive functioning and a paper plane competition to promote teamwork and creativity. Points will also be allocated to the JW with the highest total in the Compassion Cup and attendance at our St Joseph’s Day liturgy.  

The Waterford Challenge aims to increase student engagement and teamwork within our house and promote the positive elements of our College community.  

Current standings are; 

Coming up in early next term is the Feast of Edmund Rice, where once again we will celebrate the founder of the Christian Brothers and our house patron.  

We will be raising money for the Edmund Rice Foundation with the Walk for Edmund. More information about this day will be communicated with our College Community early Term 2.  

Thomas Moore - Student Engagement Middle Leader - Rice House  -  tmoore@sjc.qld.edu.au

Sport

Friday Night Basketball

This week saw us have split venues, so I didn’t get to see the boys play but wish to thank Mrs Jaworski for running our home games with the four boys teams. She did a magnificent job.

Our second team of Year 7/8 boys played TAS here as a home venue game as well. They were very excited to play at St Joey’s.

The boys tried very hard but just couldn’t keep up during the game.

Scorers for the night were: Kayden Marino scored 4 points, Johnathon Skuse, John Odera 2 points Declan Denning 1 point for a final score of 9 to 36. They do not look like they play this week.

The other Year 7/8 team played Harristown with the final score being 37 to 16 to us. This placed us first on the ladder and we will play TGS at 4.15pm at TGS on Friday night in the cross-over semi-final.

A big thank you to Tiarnee Smith for developing this young team. They have really enjoyed themselves and have come along in heaps and bounds.

The Year 9/10 team put Harristown High away for the night winning 61 points to 21. The boys must have played well and also finished top of the pool and will also play Grammar at 5.00pm at TGS.

Scorers for the night were: Kizito Oryem 17 points, Liam Hogan 9 points, Ryan Richardson 9 points, Darby Reid 7 points, Will English 6 points, Dean Sowry, and Mason Deakin 5 points each, Elvis Mgutu 4 points and Oliver Smyth 2 points. This means all boys in the team scored points to contribute to the win.

Open boys had a tough match against Harristown with the score finally finishing up 48 to 41. Harristown had a late surge in the final quarter.

Scorers for the night were: Hugh Tanks 16 points, Charles Meyer 8 points, Xavier Byrne, and Jayden Campbell both scored 6 points, Same Moore 5 points, Charlie Jensen 3 points and Blake Burrows and Deng Bol Malek 2 points each.

They will now play Toowoomba Grammar at 6.00pm at Grammar for a place in the final. It will be tough.

The Year 7/8 girls played St Ursula’s at St Mary’s College. The girls welcomed a sixth player Tanayah Warner, to help them out.

Scorers for the night were: Lara Yaxley 15 points, Tanayah Warner 6 points, Erin Richardson 4 points and Charlotte Wiedman 3 points to round the score of 35 to 15 points.

And then I have managed to misplace the two older age group results sheets but can say that the Year 9/10 girls had a strong win over St Ursula’s to advance to the semi-final at Toowoomba Grammar at 5.00pm against Fairholme College.

The open girls have again managed to win their final round game with only 5 girls. Abang Ayuel put some a couple of good 3-point shots which saw us get out of trouble and win the game by a very small margin. The girls are into the semi-final at Toowoomba Grammar for a 6.00pm tip-off and will play for a place in the grand final if they can defeat Highlands.

We wish all our teams the best of luck. Come and cheer them on.

Laura Geitz Netball Carnival

On Sunday March 12, the Year 7 to 9 girls Laura Geitz team competed in the competition at The Glennie School.

For the first time, we didn’t have to play Fairholme in our first game of the day. The games were 7-minute halves so each pass and shot had to be precise and accurate as turnovers were hard to

Our games for the day were as follows:

Downlands – SJC won 7 to 5

Fairholme College – SJC lost 17 to 3

The Glennie School – SJC lost 7 to 6

St Ursula’s College – SJC won 8 to 4

Our Lady of the Southern Cross – SJC won 6 to 4

This left us in fourth position, and we had to play Fairholme again for a place in the final. We played much better in this game only losing to Fairholme 13 to 7.

Our final game was to play off for third and fourth place and this bought up against St Ursula’s again. Unfortunately, we couldn’t beat them for a second time and lost 6 to 5.

A huge thank you to Mr Wheeldon who volunteered his services all day as our umpire. We are very appreciative of his willingness to help us.

2023 South West Queensland School Futsal Titles

On Monday March 13 two teams, under 15 boys and girls competed for the above titles.

The boys, under the direction of Mr Fellenberg, competed at UniSQ.

9.20am SJC v’s Downlands College – won 3 – 0

11.00am SJC v’s Concordia College – lost 4 – 1

1.00pm SJC v’s Highlands Christian College – lost 6 – 2 after leading 2 – 0 at halftime.

4.30pm SJC v’s a friendly but they left so we played a team from Toowoomba Grammar and beat them 4 – 3.

Mr Fellenberg said the boys tried hard all day but were physically outmatched in games with side and speed. He was very proud of the boys for not giving up all day and doing the best that they could.

The girls went over to Glennie to compete.

Our title defence started with the following round games:

9:15am SJC v’s St Saviour’s College – won 2 to 1

11:20am SJC v’s St Ursula’s College – won 3 to 2

12:25pm SJC v’s The Glennie School – won 3 to 1

2:35pm SJC v’s Fairholme College – won 7 to 1

At 3:25pm this then took us to the cross-over semi-final against second in pool 1. The game changed from 22-minute straight timed games to two 10-minute halves. This game was against Mary MacKillop Catholic College. We won this game 3 to 1.

At 4.00pm we went to the final game against St Peter Clavier College from Ipswich. It was a very hard game with Peter Clavier winning most of their games in their pool by big margins. Our girls managed to prevail, and we won the grand final 2 goals to 1.

The girls involved were Lottie Condon, Sienna Lockwood, Marley Jackwitz, Taylor Lobwein, Isla Erbacher, Isabella Feurer, Adelaide Morgan, and our goalie Holly Robinson.

Adelaide and Marley were invited to represent South West Queensland 2023 National School Futsal under 14 Championships in Brisbane in September.

Lottie and Sienna were also invited to attend the same championships in the under 15 years team.

On Thursday March 16, the Open boys travelled out to UniSQ to compete in the Under 19 boys competition.

Our program for the day was...
Game 1: 10.15am – SJC v’s Highlands won 4 – 0
Game 2: 11.45am SJC v’s Concordia – 2 all draw
Game 3: 2.15pm SJC v’s Lockyer District won 6 – 1

This then put us into the cross over semi final against St Peter Clavier College which we were able to win 5 – 1. This was probably our best game all day and I think we played it as our grand final as we seemed to approach the game in a bit more of a subdued manner.

4.10pm was the grand final against Harristown State High School. Like the semi, the games were 10-minute halves. It was 1 all at half time and about halfway through the second half Harristown scored and that remained the final score for the game – 2 goals to 1.

I cannot fault the boys, they played like true champions and gave their all.

Congratulations to Andrew Uprichard-Green, Zachary Lucido, Charlie Kruger and Kaden Willmot who were presented with invitations to play in the national team.

Also given an invitation from the games on Monday was Zander Lucido in the 13 years boys team!

DD Congratulations – information received to date

Congratulations to the following students who have been successful in their respective sports.

Jack Reimers and Hayden Lobwein – 12 years Touch

Kizito Oryem – 13-16 years Basketball

Kaley Markey – 13-16 years Basketball

Sam Moore and Blake Burrows – 17-19 years Basketball

Tiarnee Smith and Rebecca Scott – 17-19 years Basketball

Leteena Medland, Chloe Seefeld and Chloe Thompson 14-15 years Rugby League

Mariah Brown and Cheyenne Zirbel – 16-18 years Rugby League

Hayden Lobwein – 10-12 years AFL

Aiden Diprose – 13-15 years AFL

Charlie Bucknell, Gemma Leigh, Emmersyn Ranford, and Paityn Wilson – 13-15 years AFL

Jada Guok, Sophie Jensen, and Kenzie Van Zandergen – 13-15 years Netball

Leteena Medland – 15-16 years Rugby 7’s

Mariah Brown – 17-18 years Rugby 7’s

Tia Beckman, Ava Campbell, and Heidi Zimmerle – 13-19 years Hockey

Bradley Schultz and Hamish Speed – 13-19 years Hockey

In an out-of-school sport issue, we would like to congratulate Blaise Prendergast and Bailey Deakin for being announced in the 18 Boys Australian Emus Youth Touch team.

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

Enhanced Learning

The end of term is often busy with exams and assignments and can be stressful for you and your child. It is normal for students to feel anxiety around this time. However, it is also the time when you may notice your child is having more difficulties than others accessing the curriculum. Here are some key points to consider in determining whether your child has an ongoing learning issue.

How do I know when my child needs extra learning support?

Many children will struggle sporadically with various aspects of schooling or paying attention, but if this is a problem that is not resolving over time it's a good idea to investigate whether they might benefit from extra learning support.

How do I know my child is struggling to learn?

It is perfectly normal for a child to struggle with a difficult subject at school or even have trouble paying attention to a topic they aren’t interested in – this does not mean that they automatically have a learning difficulty. It’s only when they are consistently struggling, maybe even in multiple subject areas, for a long period of time that you may want to dive deeper to investigate the cause. An important point to keep in mind during all this is to remember that a learning difficulty does not mean that a child isn’t smart, it just means that their brain has a different way of processing information.

Where are learning difficulties discovered?

More often than not, learning difficulties are uncovered at school, by your child’s teacher. This is a critical time and place, and your child’s teacher is your best resource. Since school is a place of learning, when a child isn’t keeping up with their peers the teacher may be the first to notice and begin to monitor the situation.

What are some signs that I shouldn’t ignore?

Children don’t always have the greatest attention on the best of days! But if you see your child consistently struggling with the following for longer than a short period of time, it’s important to identify why.   

Signs not to ignore:  

• lack of enthusiasm for reading or writing
• trouble with memorisation
• working at a slow pace
• trouble staying on task/following direction
• not being able to grasp abstract concepts
• either lack of or heightened attention to detail
• poor social skills

Recognising the signs and getting your child the support they need.

Recognising the signs early is key to getting children the support they need. Professionals that specialise in children’s learning will be very helpful in guiding you through the best strategies in supporting your child; however, there are things that you can do to help.   

Step 1: Be proactive. You’ve already identified some signs, trust your gut and contact the Enhanced Learning Team. They can begin to identify areas of strength and weakness and recommend some strategies for school and home. This might also lead to further testing by a professional who can diagnose.

Step 2: Continue to be supportive. Remember that it’s not just you who is worried. Your child is probably aware that they aren’t performing the way they “should”. They will need your support to get them to accept the help and understand that there isn’t anything wrong with them, it’s just a different way of processing information.

Step 3: Maintain a healthy lifestyle, together. Your whole body is connected, so maintaining healthy sleep, nutrition and exercise are vital for your body to function at its peak.

Step 4: Pay attention to any changes. The best way to monitor your child’s learning difficulty is by observing. Note any changes that may concern you (or improvements!) and be sure to discuss these with your child’s specialist.   

Be patient, we know it’s hard for you too. But remember, the more proactive you are, the better you will feel and the sooner your child will get the support they need.  

If you feel that your child may have a learning difficulty and you would like some more information please contact Enhanced Learning by calling the College on 4631 8500.

Darcy Goodall - Program Middle Leader - Enhanced Learning - dgoodall@sjc.qld.edu.au

Humanities & Commerce

Tourism Fieldtrip – Girraween National Park

As a Geographer, Tourism teacher and a lover of the natural world, I cannot stress enough the importance of exploring and learning about places like Girraween National Park through field trips. These trips provide invaluable opportunities for us to connect with the environment and understand its intricate workings. Girraween National Park has over 90000 local and international tourists/visitors each year. The park is a living laboratory, a place where we can observe and learn about the fascinating interplay between geology, climate, and biology. The park's granite formations, shaped by millions of years of erosion and weathering, provide a unique habitat for a variety of plant and animal species. The delicate balance between the granite outcroppings, the soils, and the vegetation is crucial for the survival of many of the park's inhabitants. During a field trip to Girraween, we witnessed the complex interactions between the park's ecosystem and its inhabitants. We also observed the adaptations of the park's plant and animal species to their unique environment. In class next week we will further learn about ecotourism and the threats that they face from human activities such as climate change and habitat destruction.

Moreover, field trips provide opportunities for us to appreciate the natural world's aesthetic beauty and its spiritual value. The park's stunning landscapes, from the Pyramids to the Bald Rock Creek, are awe-inspiring and humbling. They remind us of the importance of preserving the natural world for future generations to enjoy and learn from.

The phrase “field trip” may suggest long bus rides, sack lunches and museum tours, but field trips can take a variety of forms that meet a variety of needs and can enhance deep, active learning. Along with the engagement with concepts that is required by these experiences, the student/teacher bonding that occurs on field trips enhances the learning experience and creates a learning community as students continue onward in a discipline. Teaching in the field also gives instructors the opportunity to get to know their students in greater depth in terms of how the students see the world differently than the instructor. This insight into student worldviews can help the instructor to better communicate the concepts of the course. One of the challenging highlights was the hike to the top of the Pyramids. This hike is not an easy hike, and I was extremely proud of all students who gave their all and especially to those who were able to hike to the Pyramids summit. Another highlight was students exploring Bald Creek and the plethora of water holes as well as spotting a turtle or kangaroo.

Girraween National Park, situated in the Granite Belt region of Queensland, is a true gem of Australia's natural landscape. It's a place where tourists from all over the world come to visit ancient granite formations and see pristine forests, where rare flora and fauna thrive, and where the forces of nature are on full display. To me all students lived out many of the Joey's imperatives such as Endeavour: participate and persevere; Compassion: Use empathy and Respect: respect unconditionally (abilities, genuine fear in a dignified manner etc.) In conclusion, field trips to places like Girraween National Park are essential for understanding and appreciating the natural world. They provide us with opportunities to learn about the interconnectivity of ecosystems, the beauty of biodiversity, and the importance of conservation/ecotourism. 

It would also be remiss of me if I did not thank Mr Cook and Mr Speed. These two fine gentlemen were invaluable and made the day what it was. Cheers! Thanks also to Mr Willocks and the Office Staff (Mrs Fleming, Miss Moon, and Miss Gardner) who always ably assists us as well as Mr Morgan for organising the bus. Very much appreciated.

Next term we head off to Movie World for a behind the scenes look at this theme park attraction and in particular look at topics such as sustainability, the 4 x Ps of marketing and why it is such an important sector within the industry. 

Andrew Fellenberg - Curriculum Leader - Humanities & Commerce - afellenberg@sjc.qld.edu.au

Connecting with Careers

Lunch and Learn

Monday

Year 12 focusing on post-school pathways.

Tuesday

Year 10 focusing on supporting students with Work Experience.

Upcoming events

21 March 2023 – Careers Information Session for Students and Parents.

29 March 2023 – Year 8 Careers Day (Periods 1, 2 and 3) – A gentle reminder that you will need a charged device, pen and colouring pencils.

30 March 2023 – Career Avenues Profiling for Year 12 (Periods 2 -5)

10 workplace trends in 2023 

The News Daily has an article outlining 10 workplace trends in 2023 that they see impacting on today's workplace. They say that “workplaces are always evolving and in 2023, changing economic conditions are forcing organisations to tighten their belts while also keeping up to date with technology. This comes as Australia continues to face a post-pandemic talent shortage across key industries such as health, education, construction and IT. It spells out a year of new challenges for workers everywhere”. Click here to read about: 

1. Less meetings
2. More people working on site
3. Increased focus on mental health
4. More Artificial intelligence
5. Cost cutting
6. Climate change job losses
7. Continuing to celebrate difference
8. Less micro-managing
9. More sustainability initiatives
10. The ‘great resignation’ continues

These are the Australian occupations that continue to be segregated by gender 

SBS  News recently published an article looking into Gender segregation in Australia's critical occupations. They report that gender segregation in the workforce still persists with women still dominant in the fields of childcare, nursing, reception and general clerk duties. The Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) found that more women have joined the workforce in recent decades but are not employed in male-dominated industries. Click here to read the article in detail including which occupations are getting more segregated for women. The article provides some insights into the current job market, and young people should still choose career pathways that best meet their job interests. 

A reminder that you can access career information from the St Joseph’s College Careers website.

2023 Year 10 TAFE Skills Taster Applications are now open

We are excited to announce that the Year 10 Taster Program applications are now open!

This allows eligible students to try out an industry area without needing to commit to a full qualification or apprenticeship. This program is subsidised by the Queensland Government and is offered at no cost. Students will complete individual competencies from various programs but will not complete a full certificate or obtain any QCE credits.

Please find below the available courses for this year’s Year 10 Taster Program:

• Year 10 Trade Taster Program
• Light automotive
• Engineering
• Plumbing
• Carpentry
• Flooring technology
• Heavy automotive
• Year 10 Skills Taster – Agriculture
• Year 10 Skills Taster – Health
• Year 10 Skills Taster – Salon Assistant (Hairdressing)
• Year 10 Skills Taster – Kitchen Operations (Cookery)
• Year 10 Skills Taster – Lab Tech (NEW - coming in term 4)

How to Apply

To apply for the Year 10 Taster Programs, students will need to:

1. Go to tafeapply.com
2. Enter the application code: TQSWTASTER23

School Based Apprenticeship (SBA) and Traineeship (SBT) vacancy

We have several exciting school-based apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities below: 

• Certificate III in Carpentry with CDW Building open to Year 10, 11 and 12 students
• Certificate III in Cookery with Ozcare open to Year 10 or 11 students
  
  

To find a copy of all current SBA vacancies, click here: School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBA&Ts) 

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

Mission at Joey's

Rosies aims to offer friendship and unconditional acceptance to those who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or are experiencing social isolations or loneliness. Just as you would offcer a cup of tea or coffee to a friend who was visiting your home, our SJC student volunteers and staff do the same for our friends on the street. 

Some of our senior students rolled up their sleeves and put on a BBQ dinner for Rosies last Wednesday evening. 

Another way our students are able to practise many of our Joey's Way imperatives is through the Breakfast Club which takes place every Wednesday morning at the Clifford Park Special School. 

Here are some happy snaps of our students last week preparing breakfast for students of CPSS. 

Arts Opportunties

SAE Brisbane is opening its doors on Saturday 15th of April for Create For A Day, a one-of-a-kind full day program where students can come to our campus and work on inspiring creative projects in the fields of Animation, Audio, Film, Games, Design, Songwriting & Music Production.

Are your students contemplating studying creative media? Or do they express themselves creatively but are not quite sure where it can take them yet? Then, Create for a Day is their chance to find out! They will get to access our campus and its state-of-the-art facilities, take a peek behind the scenes, experience life as an SAE student and discover what it means to be a creative professional, with industry experts by their side.

On the day, attendees will learn valuable practical and collaborative skills as they work towards building a creative piece of work. They will also receive a certificate of participation to acknowledge the creative project they have undertaken.

Due to the tertiary level of the workshop content, this event is open to anyone aged 15 years and above (Year 10 and over).

All workshops are run at the same time, therefore only one workshop can be attended by an individual.

*Lunch included. Tickets are limited and going fast, don’t miss out!

Tickets are $25 register here.

More information is available via their website.

SJC - Community News

Congratulations and best wishes to Year 8 student Patrick McDonald and his father Josh who are participating in the Everest Base Camp Challenge supporting and raising funds for the Momentum Mental Health. If you are able to assist with sponsoring Patrick and Josh the details can be found on the flyer.

Our Parent Business Directory has begun and you may see some of our parents business in our column 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

Uniform Shop

EFTPOS only - No Cash accepted until further notice.

Scarves are very popular at the moment, so why not pop in and grab one before winter.

Female Bike shorts are available and are usually worn under footy shorts, school skirts or for team sports.

Football/Confro shorts, socks and training shirts available in store.

Training shirts can be worn for any team sport training sessions.

Reminder formal hat bands are available for purchase.

Shop will open Friday 14^th April 9.00am – 4.00pm, in the school holidays for any term 2 uniform requirements.

Orders can be made online, paid for over the phone and all orders can be delivered to student entrance for your child to collect from there.

Online orders can also be delivered to your home for a fee.

Online ordering is available at all times and will only be packed during shop trading hours.

Out of stock:

Tracksuit Jackets Sizes 14, XS, S, M and L 

Tracksuit Pants Size L

Senior Blouse Sz 10A

Female Sport Shirt/Polo  XS and 14

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.

Please contact the uniform shop on the below details:

Phone:           07 4631 8514

Email:             sjct@midford.com.au

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.